go m good morning. out of control. a new and dangerous wildfire explodes just north of los angeles forcing the overnight evacuations of at least 2,000 homes. we're live on the scene. up in arms. the pentagon's top officials warn the leak of those top-secret afghanistan war documents will have a severe and dangerous impact on u.s. troops in the region. this as the suspected leaker arrives in washington for a likely court-martial. we'll talk about that and other subjects with white house press secretary robert gibbs. and one and done. ellen degeneres quits as a judge on "american idol" and there are reports this morning that kara

could be out too. and you won't believe who's in the running to replace them today, friday, july 30th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. i'm not going to get into the "american idol" story and speculate as to who's going to replace those judges, but just notice meredith is not here. >> i'm ann curry in for meredith this morning. don't worry, she's going to be back on monday. you know, don't worry, come on, it's going to be all right. anyway, we've got to switch gears and talk about this fire. boy, did it explode. the firefighters this morning 50 miles north of los angeles are scrambling to get away from this crown fire, which is burning. there are at least five other blazes burning in southern california. we have the latest in a live

report coming up. this has become again a serious situation there. also rangers believe they have captured the grizzly bear behind a deadly rampage at a campground near yellowstone national park. she's got two cubs with her so what are they going to do with them? we'll have details on that coming up, as well as an exclusive live interview with the couple who was in the first tent that was attacked by the bear. they will share what is a very harrowing story. plus on a much lighter note, have you happened to hear there's a wedding going on in rhinebeck? we have chelsea clinton getting married tomorrow, as we understand. some big measures are in place to keep the paparazzi away but take a look at this new photo. she can't escape everyone. >> is that her? >> that apparently is her in the middle. >> it looked more like her in the floppy hat. >> she has been working those floppy hats. we'll check in with natalie morale as live in rhinebeck with more on that. and some big changes coming to "american idol." we've got ellen degeneres announcing by twitter that she is out.

she's quitting that show after just one season. >> i think a lot of people who first heard that she was going on the show wondered how she would fit in there. she's just such a nice person. there's got to be a little judgment you've got to do in that job and it's tough. >> we'll talk more about that in just a little while. speaking of "idle" carrie underwood is here for a live concert out on the plaza. >> we're excited about that. but first let's get a check of the morning's top stories. we've got amy robach at the news desk. >> good morning. firefighters are waging an aggressive battle this morning against a new and menacing wildfire in southern california. nbc's jinah kim is in palmdale, california, where officials have ordered mass evacuations. good morning, jinah. >> reporter: good morning, amy. the crown fire has burned more than 5,000 acres so far and despite the cooler temperatures overnight has been pushing ever closer to some 2,000 homes in its path. >> how does it look down below?

can you set up that ridge line? >> negative. >> reporter: overnight firefighters battled the raging wildfire near palmdale, 50 miles north of los angeles. the blaze, which broke out thursday afternoon in this mountainous area, fueled by high winds and heavy dry brush quickly spread to nearby communities, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 homes. >> i got as much as i could off the ranch and i think everybody is going to start leaving here. >> reporter: 500 firefighters battled the flames as the fire moved toward homes, catching many residents off guard. >> we were looking at it. it looked pretty far away. all of a sudden it was just right on us. >> reporter: 25-mile-an-hour winds swept embers through canyons and rough terrain causing spot fires, making it difficult for firefighters to control the blaze. it was a close call for this hillside animal shelter, home to dozens of animals. >> we get, you know, fires up here all the time but that's definitely the closest i've ever seen it get. >> reporter: firefighters know of at least five homes and

structures that have burned so far but say that number will go up as they make their assessment this morning. amy? >> jinah kim in palmdale, california. thank you. nato said this morning that three u.s. service members were killed by explosions in afghanistan thursday. that raises the total for july to at least 63, making it the deadliest month for american forces in the nearly nine-year-old war. and this week marks one year since three american americans hiking along the iraq border were seized by iran and accused of spying. the only time their mothers saw them was back in may when they traveled to iran. today i spoke with the women about their hopes for a permanent reunion. >> enough is enough. iran, you've had your year, you've investigated, you haven't so even them in seven months for investigation. please, you know, do what's right, do what's correct, do what's ethical and send the kids back to the united states. >> the bottom line is these kids have committed no crime and

they're being held in this situation which is so extreme. it needs to end immediately. >> iran has not officially charged the hikers, and no trial date has been set. and australia's landmark sydney harbor bridge was shrouded in white this morning as a thick blanket of fog smothered the city, also disrupting air travel and ferryboat service. it is now 7:06. back to matt, ann, and al. weather causing problems around the world. >> i wonder if they let people do that walk with that fog. >> pretty cool. >> all right. we've got al here in purple. >> that's right. actually spotted tony bennett right by the bridge. >> okay. >> let's check your weather, see what's happening, and we'll show you the clinton wedding forecast. today, mixed clouds, upper and mid-70s. we have the official clinton wedding forecast. saturday, sunny and mild, temperatures in the upper 70s. as we move out west, we've got a risk of strong storms from topeka, kansas, all the way to

sioux falls, severe hail and wind gusts. you can see the rain firing up through iowa today. rainfall amounts generally light, but some regions could pick up anywhere from 1 to 2 inches of rain from green bay to madison, also down to kansas city. there is a look at the golden gate bridge, the business of the clouds right acss the midspan of the golden gate bridge and those low clouds causing some inbound flight delays at sfo airports, for arising flights close to 45 minutes, call ahead. 50s in the bay area, clearing skies inland, you know the routine, seen it most of this weeks, 70s, most places inland, 8, the trivalley and morgan hill, weekend starts off the same way, cooler tomorrow, trending a bit warmer by sunday. >> that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. now a suit of a blogger who posted it.

nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is at the white house with more on this story. chuck, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. the white house would love nothing more than the shirley sherrod story to fade into the background, but as the president prepares to head to michigan today to highlight the relative health of the american auto industry, the sherrod story still doesn't have an ending. she's yet to give an answer about the job offer and she's prepared to file a lawsuit against the conservative propagandist who started this whole mess. >> she deserves better than what happened last week. >> reporter: before a major civil rights group thursday, president obama sounded the most conciliatory yet about shirley sherrod, the usda official who is first forced to resign then offered a new job. all after comments she made at

an naacp dinner which were edited then posted on the internet. on abc's "the view," the president blasted the cable news industry for fuelling the story. >> a 24/7 media cycle that's always looking for controversy and oftentimes doesn't get to the facts first generated a phony controversy. >> reporter: and in san diego, during a panel discussion led by n nbc, sherrod revealed plans to file a lawsuit against conservative activist breitbart, who first posted the clip. >> he'll definitely hear from me. >> have you decided whether you will pursue the action? >> i will definitely do it. i will definitely do it. yes. >> reporter: there is no actual lawsuit yet, and breitbart won't comment until he sees one. but last week he defended the videos he put out under the heading naacp bigotry in their

ranks. >> i think that the clip as it exists proved precisely the news point that needed to be made. >> reporter: sherrod was offered her job back or the new job only after the full speech was released, showing she was really telling a story about overcoming her own prejudices. >> what she's going to have to show is that at the time he put it out he didn't know it was false or he himself didn't ed d dit it into a false or misleading way. >> reporter: sherrod's been one distraction for a white house dealing with several. on capitol hill thursday, a house panel presented 13 ethics charges against charlie rangel, new york's longtime democratic congressman. >> they're serious charges. i'm prepared to prove that the only thing that ever happened in my years of public service is service. that's what i've done. >> reporter: and as for the president today, he travels to michigan. look, nothing's been tougher for him to sell than those

government bailouts. but the bailout of the auto industry may have turned a corner. he's going to factories for chrysler and gm today, ford next week to show the american people he says that the american auto industry is back, matt. >> all right. chuck todd at the white house. chuck, thank you very much. robert gibbs is the white house press secretary. robert, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning, matt. how are you? >> i'm fine, thanks. let's talk about this situation with charlie rangel, a democratic stalwart, one of the longest serving members of congress, and he's facing potentially an embarrassing ethics trial. this is not what democrats with midterm elections just around the corner. did anyone at the white house at any level reach out to congressman rangel and urge him quietly or forcefully to find some other solution to this? >> we haven't, matt. we think that, as you mentioned and chuck did, too, there's a bipartisan committee looking into some very serious charges. we think that's the right step to take. and we won't prejudge the outcome. >> well, i'm not asking you to

prejudge the outcome, but congressman rangel has said on a couple occasions this week that he's looking forward to the opportunity to sitting before that committee, even if it is at a trial, and raising his right hand and taking the oath and explaining these charges one at a time. is that what the white house wants to see, him going through these charges one at a time, or would they prefer a quieter settlement? >> well, look, matt, that's not for us to decide. that's for congressman rangel to decide. again, we think they are serious charges and they can and should be looked into as is happening up on capitol hill with that bipartisan committee. and we'll let the process serve its course. >> charlie rangel has been a great ally of this president in congress. has president obama reached out to congressman rangel in any way, even to show support at this time? >> he has -- nobody here and the president has not talked to congressman rangel. >> let's talk about this huge leak of classified documents we saw this weak coming from wikileaks, some 90,000 reports

on the war on afghanistan, some including the names of afghan civilians who were working on behalf of nato forces. report ert, mike mullen, admiral mike mullen, has said that wikileaks may already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an afghan family. we know that wikileaks says they have 15,000 more documents, robert. is there anything that the white house can do to stop the leak of those documents? >> well, we can do nothing but implore the person that has those classified, top-secret documents not to post anymore. as you mentioned, what admiral mull ensaid, and i talked to him about that yesterday when we had our meeting about afghanistan and pakistan, is, look, you have taliban spokesmen in the region today saying they're combing through those documents to find people that are cooperating with american and international forces to bring peace to afghanistan, they're looking through those for names. and they said they know how to punto

punish those people. i think it is important no more damage be done to our national security and instead we focus on making progress in afghanistan. >> the president's heading to michigan today, robert. he's going to visit a gm plant and a chrysler plant, tout the fact that the bailout has saved more than a million jobs in the auto industry, a good thing. we had the ceo of ford on earlier this week, and he seemed to concede that many, many of the hundreds of thousands of jobs shed by the auto industry over the past several years simply are not coming back. so is if auto industry a great example of success in the economy, or is it perhaps an example of what some are calling a jobless recovery? >> well, matt, it's a great question because in the year before this administration came into office, the auto industry did shed more than 300,000 jobs. but since gm came out of bankruptcy, the auto industry is actually expanding for the first time in more than a decade. 55,000 jobs have been added in

plants that we're going to go visit, instead of shutting down for the summer and retooling, because of consumer demand they've worked through that. the big three each showed a profit for the first time together since 2004. so we're making progress. we're adding jobs. some tough decisions -- >> but a fraction of the jobs that were lost in that industry. >> well, again, we don't have an economy where we're selling 17 million cars, which was the high-water mark. we're in an economy that is selling 11 million cars right now. but, look, matt, you can't look back a year and a half ago where two of the big three auto companies were looking at desolving, bankruptcy, and a million people walking out of auto plants without jobs. now we're adding jobs. that's a success story. it is going to take some time. those jobs didn't get shed overnight. they won't get added overnight. we're making progress. >> let's end on a lighter note. the president revealed on the voou yesterday, this is big news, that he wasn't actually

invited to chelsea clinton's wedding. obviously, secretary of state clinton, president obama is his boss, have the clintons done an enormous favor for millions of americans, parents out there who now no longer have to invite their kids' boss or their boss to their kids' wedding? >> well, i don't want one example to speak for as you said millions of americans. i think, as the president said, one president at that wedding is likely to cause enough stir. a second president would be too much. obviously, the first family wishes chelsea all the best and all the best to former president clinton and our secretary of state, hillary clinton, this coming weekend. >> diplomatically handled as well, robert. >> thanks, matt. >> nice to see you. with more, here's ann. matt, thanks. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> what do you know about what's going on behind the scenes? because democrats have to be worried regarding this rangel trial that a prolonged trial

could further damage or be a major concern for the party's prospects in an already tough election year, david. >> no question about it. remember, there were talks going on for a long time to get this resolved before it got to this stage and those have broken down. i've spoke on the democrats on capitol hill who say that rangel's position is sort of dug in, which is he does want to find a solution but he's adamant about saying whatever mistakes may have been made or lapses in judgment were more innocent, and he's particularly adamant about fighting some of the tax charges that are leveled against him. and so this thing really does proceed. you have democrats who say this is horrible for our party members, more democrats saying he should just resign, and rangel himself who is really thinking about this in terms of the broader question of his legacy. >> matt just asked gibbs about the wikileaks. we heard yesterday from mullen, the joint chiefs of staff chairman, and also from robert gates, the secretary of defense, and basically both of them expressed a lot of anger about whofk what matt was talking about, the risk to people

overseas. but there was also in addition to that, david, the 'er issings that this is damaging our relationships overseas, really jeopardizing the ability to say we can be trusted. what kind of scrambling is going on to make sure those relationships are okay now by the white house, by the people in the foreign relations committee? >> remember how important that kind of on-the-ground intelligence is in a theater like afghanistan or pakistan. you can go back and talk about the iraq war, where you had informants helping particularly during the surge. so this becomes very damaging from that point of view, from the military's point of view, from the administration's point of view. there are others who would say, hey, wait a minute, is this not a distraction from the fact that these leaks have simply undermined the overall case for war and have really brought to the foreground a serious flaw in the overall war strategy? i think the debate's going to continue on both tracks. >> meantime, a big morning on "meet the press" this coming sunday. >> well, we do. we're going to talk about the war strategy. we're going to talk about this national security danger with the chairman of the joint

chiefs, admiral mullen, who will explain his views on all this. >> all right. david gregory this morning talking about all this. and i know, david, your invitation to the big wedding of the summer is lost in the mail. back to matt. alarming new information on the country's worse mining disaster in years. 29 workers died in the upper big branch mine in west virginia. now some miners are telling the fbi that something criminal may have been going on. here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: it was february 13th, two months before 29 miners died at the upper big branch mine in west virginia when something happened at the mine that scared ricky lee campbell. what authorities say could have been criminal tampering with a methane gas detector in a mine where explosive gas has emerged as a major concern. >> witnessed an electrician

bypassing a methane detector on the machines. >> the machines that cut coal. >> yes, sir. >> why would they do that? >> so we could continue to run coal. >> reporter: what's not clear is whether the gas monitor was detecting methane or was, instead, malfunctioning and shutting down the machinery. but campbell says he's told the fbi that a supervisor ordered the electrician to disable it. >> he didn't want to do it, but he knew the danger, but when somebody above you is telling you what to do, you're going to do what they say. >> reporter: the mine operator, massey energy, says it was an isolated incident, but tells nbc news the methane monitor was bypassed in order to move the miner, the machine, from the area. not so says kmp bell. >> we kept cutting coal. >> yes. >> reporter: if true, such actions would clearly violate

the law and jeopardize the safety of the miners. the question, was there a general disregard for safety before the explosion? npr reporter has heard from multiple witnesses that disabling the monitors was common. he broke the story. >> people are extremely concerned about being identified as snitches. one miner said to me that the rule is what goes on underground stays underground. >> reporter: that miner's code of silence runs deep in much of west virginia where mining, quite literally, puts food on the table. few jobs are as lucrative or as dangerous. the man in charge of west virginia's independent investigation says some miners have admitted they're afraid to talk. >> they have expressed some concerns about intimidation, about conditions at the mine. and we've taken note of that. >> reporter: you were in the mine the day of the explosion. >> yes, sir. >> reporter: stanley stuart worked for massey energy but says he often felt too intimidated to voice safety concerns. >> i felt like if you would complain too much, you're off

the boat too much, you'd probably disappear. >> reporter: they would just fire you. >> either fire you or possibly harass you. >> reporter: massey energy tells nbc news that stuart and campbell's claims are without merit and that, quote, it strongly forbids any improper conduct relating to any and all safety devices. >> we don't condone it. we discharge people for safety violations routinely. >> reporter: after raising safety concerns at another company mine in april, ricky lee campbell was fired by massey for allegedly unsafe behavior. he's since been hired by another mine operator and has filed a whistle blower lawsuit against massey. his lawyer says he's now telling his story to a federal grand jury. tom costello, nbc news, charleston, west virginia. still to come on a friday morning, big changes coming to "american idol." ellen's out, maybe kara, too. we'll talk about that. first, this is "today" on nbc.

as matt mentioned earlier, it's one and done for ellen degeneres on "american idol." she tweeted last night, quote, dim the lights, i voted myself off "american idol." >> apparently she didn't like having to be tough on some of these contestants. she likes to encourage people. >> she wanted to be a guider, not a -- >> not a divider. >> right. >> and now people are saying that kara may be gone next year, as well, leaves two chairs open. could be three but maybe two at the judging table. let's talk about the possibles. >> that's right. >> they've already shot down justin timberlake and elton john. >> not going to happen. >> now steven tyler and j. lo. >> j. lo. that's an interesting choice. that would bring a lot of people and steven tyler, as well. there he is. well, the mind reels. >> i wonder how much of the success of the show is the judges versus the contestants. yeah. >> i think a lot of it is the

judges. >> numbers were down this year. after paula abdul. >> paula abdul. >> i say bring paula back. >> hey, now! that's an idea. >> crazy talk! >> paula, we're callingou. y good morning, i'm laura garcia-cannon, time to check the morning commute. pretty light out there? >> very light. look at this on the bay bridge. can't see them because of the low clouds, but an easy drive on the eastshore free bay approaching the toll plaza no backup. you can't see the span well. let he me show you why, the low clouds and the fog here as well, the traffic flow nicely in the southbound direction, starting to build as far as the volume,

livermo livermore. no major delays, rob. see the cloud there is to morgan hill, san jose, livermore, 50s all around, probably find mist and drizzle around the peninsula or coast. once again by lunch time, see 70s popping up inland, just like yesterday, mid to upper 70s, san jose, some 80s inland, start off the weekend. time is 7:27, more news after break.

following developing news out of the east bay this morning a man is under arrest after he pulled a gun on a hospital worker. it happened at oakland children's hospital about 3:30 this morning. police say the mentally instable man walked into the emergency room at the children's hospital with a gun. he grabbed an employee. officers got to the scene and within nine minutes, they were able to get beggun away from hi thankfully no one was hurt. i will have another update in half an hour. the "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great morning.

7:30 on a friday morning, july 30th, 2010. we've got country music star carrie underwood with us live in concert. we'll get to that performance. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer with ann curry filling in while meredith has the day off. good to have you here. >> thanks. always good to sit next to you. >> thank you. what it's it like to be in the

middle of an attack by a grizzly bear? we'll talk exclusively to two survivors of what became a deadly bear rampage at a camp ground near yellowstone. and a grave interview. the father of the 15-year-old girl, you may remember her, phoebe prince, who teens were accused of bullying to death, well the father has spoken out about his daughter's suicide, and what he says actually might surprise you because he does talk about the kids who have been accused. those details are coming up. all right. on a much happier note, al gave us his clinton wedding forecast. coming up, we're going to go thrive rhinebeck, new york, for more on the big event, now just more than 24 hours away. there's natalie up there. we'll check in with her in just a couple of minutes. there's a new photo of the bride-to-be surfacing. that's not much of a photo. >> not her best side. >> no. anyway, let's begin this half hour with a different story. new details on that deadly bear rampage near yellowstone national park. nbc's kristin welker is in cooke

city, montana, near the site of the attack. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. wildlife officials believe they may have captured the offensive ending bear. all they need now is the dna evidence to prove it. this is bear country. and for ronald singer and his girlfriend, maria fleming, it was a rude awakening early wednesday morning. >> about 2:00 in the morning, the -- i felt the tent just fly two -- or two to three feet and this giant thing was on my legs. >> reporter: that giant thing was a 400-pound mother grizzly bear, and singer escaped only by punching the bear in the face. >> i reached up, and i turned the light on and i screamed while he was punching the bear, and the bear took off. >> it's not a free meal. >> reporter: singer was the first of three campers mauled in the span of minutes. in a nearby tent, deb freele was

the bear's second victim. >> i screamed. she clamped down harder, and i screamed some more. she was shaking me. she was ripping me out of the tent. >> reporter: freele realized her only hope was to play dead after she felt the bear's jaws clamp onto her arm. >> i went into survival mode and thought now's the time to play dead, and i went totally limp, didn't say a word as the bear is chewing on me. and after a few seconds she let me go and walked away. thank god. >> reporter: they were the lucky ones. the mother bear inexplicably moved to a third tent and this time killed. kevin kammer's body was found 25 feet from his tent. >> we were awakened about 2:00 in the morning by a scream. >>. >> reporter: members of the wilhelm family camping nearby were there for the whole thing. >> we heard a scream coming from our neighbor campsite. a lady's voice said, "no."

>> reporter: the wilhelms got their kids out and to safety, but they are still shaken up. >> i can't imagine ever camping again after this. it was a nightmare to be in that tent and hear someone possibly being killed right outside your door and knowing that you could be next. >> reporter: bears in this part of the country are not unusual. the area in and around yellowstone national park is home to over 600 grizzlies, yet attacks are rare, and this deadly attack, according to wildlife officials, is a mystery. >> this is, you know, an extremely rare case. what happened here, we can't explain it right now. >> people are a little on edge. we know a good bear from a bad bear. a good bear will see you or smell you and run. >> reporter: wildlife officials are acting quickly sending in their so-called wildlife human attack response team, essentially a bear csi unit to find and identify the bear. the team collected hair, tissue,

blood and saliva from the scene, and by wednesday night, park wardens captured what they believed to be the offensive ending bear. by thursday, they had two of her three cubs. and if lab results determine the bear in captivity is, indeed, the killer bear, the whole family will be put down, including the cubs. >> the cubs have learned, in essence, that this is how to hunt. they've learned behave that humans are prey, and that is not acceptable. >> reporter: now, wildlife officials expect to get those dna results back as early as today, but if they're inconclusive, they could have to analyze dental records. by the way, they are hoping to have a definitive answer about the bear's identity within the next few days. matt? >> all right, kristen welker hout in cooke city, montana, for us, kristen, thanks very much. ronald singer and maria fleming who you saw in the piece are with us this morning. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> ronald, this is every

camper's worst nightmare. you guys are sound asleep in a tent. this bear tears a hole in the side of that tent, comes in and bites down on your leg. first of all, how bad were your injuries? how are you feeling this morning? >> my injuries were just -- they were pretty deep. they -- one of them -- one of the tooths from the bear nicked the tibia so i have two deep gouges, but i'm feeling pretty good this morning. >> well, obviously we're happy to see you up and around. maria, you guys are sleeping. was there any warning that this bear was close to your campsite? did you hear it? did you see anything? or did it just appear inside that tent? >> you know, there was no noise, no warning. it didn't clang around. it didn't make any noise before it came up. i suppose the only warning we had was when our golden retriever wanted to get back in right before we went to bed. that's all she wanted to do. >> so you woke up seeing exactly

what, maria? >> i didn't actually see much because it was really, really dark out, but i could feel the tent moving, and i don't know -- i heard the bear growl after it bit ronald. but mainly it was just the tent moving that woke me up, and i started screaming. >> and i don't know how big your tent was, but i've seen a lot of tents that are not that big. so between the two of you and a grizzly bear, you're in close quarters there. there's not much room to move around, is there? >> no, there's not. >> no. >> so you started punching the bear, ron. i mean, you know, we've heard other people say what do you do when a bear attacks? and i always think who has the presence of mind to do this. you go limp, play dead. did that cross your mind at all. no. it was just an instinct to just punch it. >> you had stored all your food properly. according to officials you did everything right. you didn't do anything to invite

this bear to be aggressive. do you have any idea why this bear chose your tent and got so aggressive? >> wrong place, wrong time? i don't know. we did everything like we were supposed to. >> the bear moved on from your tent and then attacked two other campers. one of those attacks was fatal. did you hear any of that occurring? >> i heard the lady scream. that was three campsites down. i heard her scream when maria's dad was bandaging my leg. >> and that was it. you didn't hear the man who was eventually attacked and killed. >> i didn't find out about that till noon that day when i was in the recovery room after they cleaned out the tooth gouges in my leg. >> maria, real quickly, they say they may have the offending bear, have captured that bear and her cubs. what do you think should happen to that bear? >> well, it's really sad,

especially with the cubs. i mean, if they weren't involved, then it's sad that they all have to probably be put down, too, but, i mean, a bear like that that just comes in and randomly attacks people and just keeps going and attacking more people i think should probably be put down. >> well, maria fleming, ronald singer, we're happy you're both okay. thanks for joining us this morning. >> no problem. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> let's get a check of the weather now from al. all right. thanks a lot, matt. a lot of people out here having a good time waiting for carrie. down south, that's where we're talking about some dangerous heat. we've got heat advisories from oklahoma all the way to the panhandle of florida and up into myrtle beach, 95 for a high. macon, georgia, 101, 99 in jacks jackson. going to feel like 106 in macon, 103 in tulsa, 112 in myrtle beach. that heat extend to the plains and the pacific northwest.

hundreds down south. we've got some 60s and 70s around the pacific. and in san jose, gray skies to start the morning once again and probably around 10:00 or so we will see the sun come out but not so much on the coast and around the peninsula it will take time for the low clouds to break up closer to san francisco and that's the reason why again today, we will see the spread of temperatures well below average for this time of year, 60s and 70s aren't bay, mid-80s further inland. we kick off the weekend, we are going to see a fairly strong seabreeze, morning clouds, more or less staying mild the next few days. don't forget, you can check your weather anytime of the day or night. go to your channel on cable or weather.com. up next, the last-minute chelsea spotting on the eve of her wedding. we're going to check in with natalie morales and the mayor of rhinebeck where that wedding her ldomorrow righaft after this.

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back now at 7:43, and you're looking at the scene in rhinebeck, new york, this morning where what's been dubbed the social event of the summer is taking place tomorrow, the wedding of chelsea clinton. so what's the mood there? we'll check in with nbc's "today" national correspondent, natalie morales standing by. hey, natalie. good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning to you, ann. you know, those many the know around here have been sworn to secrecy, although as you know they are just bursting at the seams here with the news here. the hudson valley news, the headline, congratulations, chelsea and marc, the welcome mat is already out as they're ready to receive the guests here, and they'll start arriving later today. but this is one of the biggest events of the summer but also one of the worst-kept secrets here. it's about all anyone can talk

about now, chelsea clinton's wedding to her longtime boyfriend, marc mezvinsky. >> rhinebeck is on lockdown. >> reporter: the town is ready to embrace the couple on their special day. most here seem to be bursting at the seams with what was their little secret. at the local bridal shop, ill's all good for business, if only they could talk about it. >> they have signed confidentiality agreements. i know a couple of people who have signed those. >> reporter: officials are holding news conferences, though they're not saying for what, exactly. >> this is a private event that may take a bit longer to get from point a to point b this weekend. >> reporter: it's tough to get the scoop, even for the guy who broke the story. the only person here who doesn't seem to be talking about is that guy. >> this guy. >> reporter: all the attention comes at a price. >> this is like havoc. >> reporter: even the international media wants to catch a glimpse of the bride-to-be. >> like royal family, i guess. >> reporter: the world has watched chelsea clinton grow up and is eager to see her as a

beautiful, intelligent bride, following the steps of other married presidential daughters from caroline kennedy to jenna bush. but this private and most exclusive event will not be for the world to see or those without an invite. not even president obama is going. >> it would be tough enough having one president at a wedding. you don't want two presidents at a wedding. >> reporter: as for those rumors about hollywood a-listers oprah, spielberg, and tstreisand, no oe knows for sure except a select few, and the clintons' lips are, of course, sealed. the groom eagles father, ed mezvinsky, is sharing his joy on ""inside edition."" >> it's great to see two people that have a good feeling about each other. >> reporter: for now where the ceremony is supposed to take place may as well be ft. knox. no one is going in or out unless invited. but just a stone's throw away,

this majestic scenery of the hudson river valley will be the million-dollar view chelsea and her new husband see as they exchange their vows. and as we said, many of the 400-plus expected guests will start arriving today. a lot of them are expected to be checking in here to the beakman arms inn, and you see buses already outside, perhaps to provide transportation for the guests, although you try to talk to the bus drivers here this morning as i did, and they, too, are tightlipped and say they don't really know much themselves. they've been told just to be parked there and ready to go. but again the buzz is growing here by hour, ann. >> all right, natalie. thank you so much. well, caroline kerry is publisher of "the hudson valley news," which first broke the news that chelsea's wedding would take place in rhinebeck. and jim reardon is the town's mayor. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> on one handle, it's a wedding, on the other hand, it's one of the biggest things to hit

your town in a long time. what is the number-one priority to get your town through the big event this weekend? >> well, rhinebeck is a very small community, and we're not used to high-profile events like this, so my biggest concern, of course, is public safety and how we're going to manage the traffic situation. >> and do you think it's going to be a pretty intense one with 400 guests arriving? what do you know about the number of lookey loos or the alleged circus of media. how many people do you think are going to come to your town? >> i have no idea. it's a high-profile event, and i've had more media requests in the last week than i've had in the entire three years i've been in office. so i have no way to gauge what will happen here, but we are expecting a crush of media, paparazzi and curious onlookers p. >> okay. and caroline, you know, seeing that the clinton family really wanted this to be much more private than it turned out to be, just what are the chances do you think that carolyn -- that chelsea is going to be able to get the kind of private wedding she's wanting given how much

publicity there has been about this? >> i think she's going to get a very private wedding because as you know, it's in complete lockdown, it's very private, very secure. the secret service is everywhere. you know, the guests who are staying in town, there's a lot of media here. they'll be filmed and photographed going to dinners, but i think chelsea and marc will have a very private affair. >> all right. well, carolyn kerry and mayor jim reardon, just a quick interview with you to find out how you're getting ready. i'm sure you'll have a lot to say when it's all over. thank you so much for joining us this morning, and good luck. >> thank you. >> thank you. my pleasure. still to come this morning, another big event. we've got country queen carrie underwood here live in concert. [ female announcer] on a summer day, nothing tastes as great

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good morning to you, 7:56. i'm laura garcia-cannon. want to check in with mike, sounds like a repeat of yesterday. >> yeah, a new report, cal train delays, train 309 canceled due to mechanical problems. southbound train 218 also canceled, because she share crews and resources. delays of 25 minutes for trains. and i heard of signal problems in mountain view, watch near the station it sounds like it is affecting the road as well as nearby on the station. so, keep that in mind. meanwhile, look at 880 through oakland for the freeways and traveling is moving smoothly past the coliseum. the volume starting to pick up, southbound delay around oak street with an earlier accident, cleared from lanes, now a steadier flow from oakland-to-no

backup at the toll plaza. skies are gray, pretty much everywhere, right? >> like yesterday's weather report and the day before and the day before, low clouds this morning, 70s to mid-80s, trivalley, upper 70s close to san jose, probably 80s around morgan hill, kind of cool for this time of year, going to stay with the low clouds on the coast bit nex wt next week. eekend, a time 7:57, more news after the break.

eight childhood development centers in oakland will close

definitely today. it served nearly 1,000 underprivileged kids offering everything from preschool programs to summer and afterschool activities. severe state and childhood cuts to early education are to blame for the closure. if and when lawmakers pass the budget, some schools could reopen. the closing could be especially devastating for students a recent study published by science tally shows preschool can give a jump start to kids from families who struggle to make ends meet it shows good preschools set a sound foundation for later learning and help in development of social skills. the study did reinforce that quality preschools are not a magic bullet and put emphasis on stimulating home environment. another local news update in half an hour.

♪ 8:00 now on a friday morning. it's the 30th day of july 2010. an unbelievably nice day here in rockefeller plaza. we don't have a cloud in the sky, we've got moderate temperatures, low humidity. can we all say thank you, al roker! >> thank you! >> out on the plaza right now is a big crowd of people. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and the aforementioned al roker. and coming up just a half an hour from now, we've got carrie underwood, the reigning country music association queen right now. >> i know. it's pretty amazing.

everybody's got their hats on. also on that side, as well. >> it's huge. >> also on that side as well. a nice turnout for carrie. >> looking forward to that in a half hour. coming up, we start with a serious story. >> we do. you know the story about phoebe prince, that 15-year-old, there were accusations of teenagers at her high school had been accused of bullying her and she subsequently committed suicide. well now, one woman has been able to interview phoebe's father. >> for the first time. >> and you would be amazed at his graciousness, how forgiving in many ways he is. and we're going to find out what he had to say coming up this morning. >> that's right. then we've got a little bit of a mystery. a woman who owns a $100 million mansion, one of the largest apartments in new york city on fifth avenue. >> yes. >> has only been seen a handful of times in the last five decades. who is this mystery woman and why has she taken a powder? we'll reveal all.

>> all right. >> taken a powder? that means going to the bathroom. >> the powder room. completely different. >> different. we've got a lot to get to. let's go inside. ann is here. amy robach is at the news desk. she's got all the headlines. amy, good morning. good morning, matt. good morning, everyone. the u.s. embassy in paris is the scene of a police investigation this morning. police sent a mobile crime laboratory to the building to test for poisonous substances. an nbc spokesperson says two employees are being tested after exposure to a suspicious envelope. three nor u.s. service members have been killed in afghanistan, bringing the total to july to at least 66 and making it the deadliest month for american forces in the nearly nine-year war. there is dramatic video out of pakistan where raging floodwaters have killed at least 300 people in the past three days. dozens of others are missing, and rescuers were able to save one man who had to cling to a fence until help arrived. look at that. well, firefighters are planning an aggressive air attack this morning against the wildfire that's grown to more than seven square miles 50 miles

north of los angeles. it broke out on thursday. residents of 2,000 homes have already been evacuated. the fire was driven by strong winds and fueled by heavy, dry brush. well, overseas stocks are lower over concerns that the u.s. economy is losing steam. cnbc's melissa lee is at the new york stock exchange. good morning, melissa. >> good morning to you, amy. and the economy is in focus as well with investors weighing second quarter gdp data and revisions to past gdp reports all the way through 2007. now the data today takes on particular importance simply because yesterday st. louis fed president james bullhard warned of japanese-style deflation, meaning long periods of persistently low growth. the good news, though, here is that most fed economists dismiss the probability of deflation, amy. >> all right. melissa lee, thanks so much. 8:03. let's get a check of the weather from al. today's weather is brought to you by denny's $2, $4, $6, $8 dollar menu.

try 16 different value meals all day, every day. >> and we've got all these carrie underwood fans here. all here to have a good time. where are you guys from? >> mahopac. >> mahopac, new york. you came all the way down the thruway, a torturous trip, right past rhinebeck. let's check your weather, see what's happening. pick city today happens to be sioux city, iowa, nbc 4. they've got showers and storms. you're from sioux city? >> i am. l rit! way to go. you've got showers and storms today. you can see we have monsoonal moisture coming out of the southwest, risk of storms there, strong storms from the dakotas back through minnesota and parts of nebraska. we're also looking at low humidity and plenty of sunshine in the northeast. gulf coast looking pretty good, warm, though, heat advisories throughout the southeast with feels-like temperatures well over 100 degrees today.

here's a view of the san mateo bridge. the low clouds are the reason we're seeing arriving flights. as you can see from the temperatures today, mostly 60s and 70s again. around the bay area. we'll see some 70s around the bay area. weekend same story. wake up with low clouds. inland still 80s. pretty mild this time of year. jenna's mom. ma what's your name? >> sheila. >> mama wolf is in the house. you've got to tell me some stories. >> matt? >> all right, al. thank you very much. when we come back, the father of phoebe prince speaks out for the first time. what he wants from the teens who allegedly bullied his daughter to death.

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telling. phoebe's father admits she had problems with seeing a therapist and even once overdosed on antipsychotic medication, but the biggest surprise of all is what he said about the alleged bullies, the boys and girls who prosecutors say drove his daughter to suicide. >> reporter: at only 15 years old, phoebe prince was in turmoil. she was in a new school, in a new country, and her parents had just separated. she started dating these two popular boys, sparking jealousy, friends say, among these four girls, the so-called mean girls of south hadley high who allegedly bullied phoebe day and night. what were the bullies doing to her in school? >> called her names, followed her home, smart remarks, dirty looks. >> reporter: what would they call her? >> a slut, an irish whore. >> reporter: after months of torture, phoebe snapped.

she walked home and hanged herself. phoebe's parents have been silent until now. in an interview with the online magazine slate, phoebe's father is surprisingly compassionate towards the kids charged saying, you want to see the law acknowledged as rnl penalties but without making an example of them. you want to take their ages into account. there will always be younger one who is go with the flow and join in. phoebe's death is still so raw, yet her grieving father says an apology would go a long way. if they confess to the court and said they were sorry, he said, i'd appeal to the court for total leniency. >> a victim or victim's family can't dictate to a judge what the right sentence should be, but a judge will take it into account, and if a family asks for leniency, a judge is much more likely to do it. >> reporter: phoebe's death rocked the family from massachusetts to ireland, where she grew up. and as with any sudden death, there's guilt. it is the great tragedy of my

life that i was not there, her father said, but even just weeks before her death, he didn't think phoebe was depressed. she was trying on her dress for the ka till i don't know, asking, daddy, does this go with this top? emily babylon is slate's senior editor and interviewed phoebe's father by phone. >> when he was talking to me, he was soft-spoken but also firm. he clearly believed what he was saying, and because he was talking about a subject that is obviously close to him and poignant for him, there was emotion in his voice. >> reporter: but just last week, troubling details emerged about phoebe's past. court documents revealed in november of last year she attempted suicide, swallowing an entire bottle of the antipsychotic drug seroquel, she went into organ failure, and documents show she took prozac and had a history of cutting herself. >> the law doesn't care that someone's troubled. you could be the most healthy person or an emotionally fragile person with all kinds of

trouble. the someone bullies you to death, it's their fault. >> reporter: prosecutors say the bullying went on for months and that school administrators in massachusetts knew about it. the alleged bullies have all pled not guilty and all head back to court in september. >> jeff rossen, thanks. let's bring in the senior editor for slate.com. emily, good morning. >> good morning. >> you conducted this interview. how did you convince jeremy prince to speak to you, and what surprised you about what he had to say? >> jeremy prince has a family fun who had been in with me and helped me get in touch with him. i think he wanted to be clear when he visited south hadley over christmas, he obviously spent a lot of time with his daughter and he wanted to say at that point he didn't feel like she was depressed, that they spent a lot of time together, they had really a lovely christmas together. >> did he acknowledge that she had prior issues, that she had -- she did struggle coping with her life before she even got to the high school in

massachusetts? >> yes. i think he acknowledges that there were some things that were kind of rocky along the way, and then the question is how much was this sort of part of normal child development and how much were these warning signs that there was really something deeper and more troubling going on? >> did he answer the questions about to what degree he feels these young people -- there are six people who have been charged, six with very serious charges in this -- he believes they are guilty for pushing his daughter over the edge? >> i thinke >> i think he sees them as having some real responsibility for what happened to her. i think he also wants to see how the court proceedings play out and what kind of evidence comes up. but i think he also, actually i thought it was incredibly generous with him. he can think about their lives, too, and the way these charges have affected them and what he really wants from them is an apology. >> and he said if he got some kind of attrition, it would go a

long way in terms of how you would spont respond to the court in terms of what he would want in terms of the sentence if, in fact, there is a sentence in this case. did he give you any deeper understanding about his daughter and why she was -- did he have any sense about what she allegedly was going through at this high school? >> you know, i think that is the hardest thing for him, perhaps, about this is that he was not there for the last two weeks before she died, when she went back to school. and that's the time when the bullying really happened. and i think he said that was the one thing that she didn't talk to him about, sadly. >> meantime, we just heard in this piece from wendy murphy, who is the former federal prosecutor who basically told the "boston herald" that revealing phoebe's mental state and previous suicide attempts is a strategy. how do you react to that? your reporting helped reveal this material. wa do you say to that? >> well, i don't think this is really a strategy.

i think this came out of the reporting i had done with the kids at south hadley high, who felt like the story being told in the media was oversimplified. they didn't recognize it, this notion that there was a pack of incredibly mean kids that tortured phoebe for months. so when i talked to student after student, and got that impression, and that's not to say that there wasn't bullying that happened, but it was more during a limited time period and it came out of conflicts that phoebe was having with the other kids. that was what spurred on my reporting. >> obviously, this story is not done, emily. thank you so much for your -- for being here this morning. >> thanks for having me. and coming up next, we'll be tracking down one of america's richest and mostman dmyio in f woman and find out why she let her home sit vacant for dick aids. [ female announcer ] food myth #9.

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i hear hot babysitter a lot. hi. my sienna is great. it matches my style, it has great stuff for my kids, it has an available dual-view entertainment center. driving my sienna says, "sure, i'm a mom. but i'm not running around rocking mom jeans." miss, there's a diaper bag on your roof. please. ♪ [ male announcer ] meet the family and the toyota sienna on youtube. ♪ we're back now at 8:20 with a mansion mystery. where is the owner of a $100 million california estate that's been lovingly cared for but empty for nearly half a century? here's nbc's bob dotson. >> reporter: it's called beautiful view, and you can see why. perched over the pacific in santa barbara, it looks like it's waiting for someone who has gone off for the weekend.

wow. these are pretty roses. but the owner hasn't been seen in santa barbara since barbara doran was a kid. >> it's like the secret garden and nancy drew all rolled up into one. >> reporter: dora's dad took care of the place for 50 years. most of that time, caretakers were the only ones livering on this 23-acre estate. if a 6-year-old plays hide-and-seek in a place like this, she may never be found. >> unless she wants to be found. >> reporter: the sole owner, 104-year-old huget clark, this is the last known photo of one of the most secretive and wealthiest women in america. her belongings fill 42 rooms in the largest apartment on new york's prestigious fifth avenue overlooking central park. but the staff has only seen her a few times in the past 30 years. she's not at her sprawling connecticut estate either.

andre baines, his great half nephew, says she bought it back during the cold war but never moved in. >> everything stopped for her when her mother died. >> reporter: her life stopped, too. >> she didn't want to go out. she wanted to stay home and play with her dolls. >> reporter: she gave them to children of friends around the world. once she bought two first-class seats to paris and arrived safely. one of her companions figured the doll ended up in the overhead bin so the doctor could take his wife. the reclusive heiress had no children of her own. but -- >> she would invite me over to have tea in afternoon. >> reporter: the little girl who hid in the garden, like her. >> i have a great picture that she took of me. >> reporter: with a polaroid camera, one of the world's first instant pictures. what was she like?

>> very warm, very giving. >> reporter: why would someone so giving hide herself away? perhaps she grew tired of living life in the headlines. her father, former montana senator william clark, was 62 when she was born. her mother, anna, 23. no record of their marriage was ever found. society buzzed. but clark was rich as rockefeller, so he set them up in a fifth avenue mansion that cost three times more than the original yankee stadium. hugette inherited a fortune in railroad cars, copper mines, battle timber and banks. her dad also owned the land that would one day be known as las vegas. but it was here in santa barbara that she began backing away from all that, retreating from the world after a brief marriage. her husband, william dower, was a bank clerk making 30 bucks a week. she told her friends great wealth was a menace to

happiness. so was edward fitzgerald, the duke, who told a british bankruptcy court he came to america looking for a rich wife. >> the sad thing, the sad thing, when i think about it, it's awful. >> reporter: the duke denied num reports that hugette and he were a couple, but she stepped into the shadows for good. >> she's still alive. she's still alive. >> reporter: in new york city, he said. nbc.com's investigative reporter tracked her to a hospital. >> it's drab. patient names written on a board in the hallway. it couldn't be more bare. >> reporter: she's doing fine, her attorney says, but wants to be left alone. so we will not reveal the hospital's location. hugette was born to great wealth in a guilded age. she's lived her long life in a guilded cage. there are no heirs to her vast

fortune. what will happen to it is a mystery, like the life she lives. for "today," bob dotson, santa barbara, california. >> you know, you can have everything and it's not enough. >> yeah. >> you feel kind of sad. >> it is a sad story. >> i'm bummed out. >> i'm not. i think it's kind of intriguing. but i want to know how dotson got over the fence. >> or as keith morrison said, or did he? >> imagine 23 acres overlooking the ocean in santa barbara. >> man. >> that's a nice spread. very nice. anyway, nbc.com will have new revelations on this story next month. how's that for a tease? >> mark it on the calendar. ahead, one of the biggest stars in country music, carrie underwood.

good morning to you. it's 8:26 right knew. time to check the morning commute with mike. >> we'll give update. caltrain looking better now, laura. still have delays of 20 to 25 minute, mechanical difficulties. this is not the same repeat as yesterday. things are more fluid on the system right now. we're looking at oakland where this is slowing down on the northbound side toward the coliseum. but the southbound coming out of downtown. there was a gas nozzle around 29th street. we show you the map. see the slowing, major slowing

in the area. watching now for reports of a gas station problem around the 29th. >> that's one expensive fill-up that person had there. oakland, 68 for a hfvgay today. notice inland, we saw this yesterday. out towards pleasanton, to the south around morgan hill. los gatos looks nice as well. wrap up july, headed to august. inlands to 70s and 60s, 60s, lw clouds on the coast. time 8:27. more news after the break. those people are happy

'cause they're gonna have a good time, and they've got extra money in their pocket. those are happy passengers. how much does it cost for those snacks again? nothing. at southwest airlines, when we have a sale, it's a sale. [ male announcer ] southwest airlines has flights starting at $49 one-way. book now only at southwest.com. [ rand ] how can you not want to get on the plane? come on and get on the plane. we're saving you money. now that's a plane full of happy. [ employees ] grab your bag. it's on. [ ding ]

tomorrow will mark a year behind bars for three unc grads. the police say the three you illegally crossed into iran as they hike add long the iraq border. the country suggested that the three hikers are spies. the state department and hikers families deny those allegations. we'll have another local news update for you in half an hour. "today" show returns in less than a minute. have a great friday morning.

an enduring place. ♪ 8:30 now on a friday morning. the 30th of july 2010. just take a look around. that's carrie underwood signing some autographs for the people here on the plaza. if we can take a wider shot, you can see just how many people are out on the plaza. we've got a huge crowd stretching from 38th street all

the way over to us to 64th street. a lot bigger crowd here. she can pack them in, no question. the newlywed will take our summer concert stage in just a couple of minutes. meanwhile on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, who's here while meredith is taking the day off. amy robach is here and mrmr. al roker. coming up, as you can see, carrie underwood but we'll talk about student loans. and much more from rhinebeck. heard about a little wedding taking place this weekend? chelsea clinton. there's natalie with pa paraphernal paraphernalia. she'll talk to the town supervisor about whether or not rhinebeck is ready.

>> and of course there's been a lot of serious stories for the month of july, but we have had some lighter moments on the show. don't think so? go to our website, todayshow.com. and we're going to share some of those moments with you. some are disturbing, actually. >> oh. >> our facebook page. go to todayshow.com to check out some of the lighter moments of "today"." >> all right. >> let's get a check of the weather, mr. roker. >> the weekend ahead, beautiful weather in the northeast, some rain in the southeast, slight risk of strong storms in montana, idaho, heavy winds in the southwest. and sunday, sunday! more wet weather along the mid-atlantic states, risk of strong storms in the dakotas, sunny and mild in the pacific northwest.

what's happening on the golden gate bridge. you can see the bridge deck but not much tower this morning. fog and mist as we take you to take it out here. this is a visible satellite picture. the sun comes up, we'll see a lot more in the way of clouds, showing up on the satellite. temperatures 70s, 80s, mild temperatures as we get the weekend started. 60s on the coast. a little warmer early next week. and don't forget, you can get your weather anytime of the day or night, weather channel on cable or weather.com online. now to the new and improved willard scott. oh, july, july, almost over. august, those dog days. we'll talk about that later. we have some beautiful birthdays. check them out behind the smucker's jar. you can't go wrong. take a look, first of all, at patrick from virginia. 107, retired farmer, attends

church every single week, and has been a deacon for many, many years. can't beat that. ida miller from southampton, new york. invite us to a party. 100 years old today. keeps up with all current events. and she attributes her longevity to being with younger people. i suspect that's a good point. isabelle kraft, minot, north dakota. lives in a second-story apartment. she walks all the time and loves ivory soap. how about that? she's a beautiful baby. and we have ernie paulsen of holcombe, wisconsin, 102. lives in his own home with dorothy, his beautiful wife. huge brewers fan who can still make dinner for the entire family every sunday. happy birthday to you. and look at helen, always love that -- helen ventresca,

prospect, connecticut, 101 years old. avid animal lover who loves to play bingo, especially with the animals. can't beat that. thelma shearer, medford, oregon, another beanbag baseball fan. a lot of those around. enjoys all sorts of dancing, especially the cha-cha-cha. mary taylor of worcester, ohio, 102, volunteers for the local red cross and local hospital, watches "everybody loves raymond." truly one of the great shows. back to you. willard, thank you very much. when we come back, up on that stage right there, carrie underwood live in concert.

much higher than the percentage for home mortgages and credit cards. suzy orman is the host of her show. good morning. >> good morning. >> the numbers are stunning. we've been hearing a lot about mortgage and credit card defaults but not student loans. >> there was a study done since 1995 it started, all the students who have taken up student loans since then, federal student loans, are they able to pay it back. 20% of them are not. now that's dangerous because a student loan cannot currently be discharged in bankruptcy. it's not like a credit card. you don't pay, so what. >> dangerous for our financial system, or are you saying it's dangerous for the student or both? >> both, but it's really dangerous, truthfully, for the student because here you are, you've done everything possible to go to school.

you want to be something. and now you can't get a job, unemployment is high, these student loan payments are due. where are you going to get the matchup to pay them? you don't have the money to pay for them. and the student loan balance continues to increase even though you don't have the money to pay it, and that really puts a burden on people. >> the problem is not new that students are have problems paying back their loans and the burden increases. but what is causing this big rise? why are we now at 20%? >> well, two things. look at the price of a college education. now, one might say, you know, there's a young man who's about 18, 19 years old, jack, a wonderful advocate for you have to go to community college, do not take out loans, you can't get into community colleges today. they're all full. so when you look at the price of a private or public college, they are so off the charts that the amount of student loans needed to go to college today are exorbitant. add that to the fact that you can't find a job, now we have

high default. >> and the ramification for the students, as you talk about, are pretty severe. they can garnish your wages. >> yeah. >> the list goes on. >> i don't think people really understand that you can have your wages garnished even if you're married. your spouse's tax refund can be taken. they can garnish if you're older, getting social security, they can garnish that. your principal, what you owe, continues to grow. if you happen to want to work in the government, they can deny you government security clearance. and if you have a professional license, they can deny you the renewal of your license. >> so what do you do? if you are a student, you've got a loan, you cannot pay back the payments on time, what is your best advice? >> my best advice is you better learn how to deal with it seriously. either you contact them, see if you can negotiate at all, chances are you cannot, but you have got to be responsible. if you're taking out a student loan, you have got to know what will the repayments be. if you don't think you can make those payments easily, i'm telling you you better think

twice. >> people need an education to rise in this country. >> yes. >> if they don't get an education, they're not going to get opportunities in this country. >> but -- >> so how can you tell people not to take student loans? >> there are still ways, i am telling you, to be able to go to school, which is maybe, if you can get in, community college for two years, then transfer to a public college. your degree will be from the public college but it will cost you 50% less. >> so be smart. >> be smart. >> and figure out -- and maybe you need to figure out how to make sure those monthly payments are as low as they can possibly be. >> a quick rule of thumb. if you know when you graduate your income is going to be $40,000 a year if you get a job, don't go out and take $200,000 of student loans for a $40,000 a year job. limit the amount of loans to what you're going to make the first year. i know it's hard, ann. i know it's not right, but it is reality. >> suzy orman, thank you so much

this morning. for more advice, watch "the suzy orman show" saturday nights 9:00 p.m. eastern and pacific on cnbc. coming up next, hang around because we've got country queen carrie underwood live in concert. [ female announcer ] jobs leaving.

a budget disaster. california on the brink. jerry brown's plan? you run for office and the assumption is, oh, i know what to do. you don't. i didn't have a plan for california. [ female announcer ] with our state in crisis, we need a governor with a plan. you need a real plan, something i'll acknowledge i did not have. [ female announcer ] jerry brown. no plan then. no plan now. meg whitman. a plan for jobs.

log on. learn more. she is the academy of country music entertainer of the year. it's a title she's held for two straight years. ladies and gentlemen, carrie underwood. ♪ you better take it from me that boy is like a disease

♪ you want to get out but he's holding you down because you can't live ♪ ♪ without one more touch he's a good-time cowboy casanova ♪ ♪ leaning up against the record machine pe looks like ♪ ♪ a cool drink of water but he's candy-coated misery ♪ ♪ he's the devil in disguise a snake with blue eyes and he only comes out ♪ ♪ at night

gives you feelings that you don't want to fight ♪ ♪ you better run for your life i see that look on your face ♪ ♪ you ain't hearing what i say so i'll say it again ♪ ♪ because i've been where you've been and i know how it ends ♪ ♪ you can't get away don't even look in his eyes he'll tell you nothing but lies ♪ ♪ and you want to believe but you won't be deceived ♪ ♪ if you listen to me and take my advice he's a good-time ♪ ♪ cowboy casanova leaning up against the record machine ♪ ♪ he looks like a cool drink of water but he's candy-coated ♪ ♪ misery he's the devil in disguise a snake with blue eyes ♪

♪ and he only comes out at night gives you feelings ♪ ♪ that you don't want to fight you better run for your life ♪ ♪ run run away don't let him mess with your mind ♪ ♪ he'll tell you anything you want to hear he'll break your heart ♪ ♪ it's just a matter of time but you just remember ♪ ♪ he's a good-time cowboy casanova leaning up against ♪ ♪ the record machine he looks like a cool drink of water ♪ ♪ but he's candy-coated misery he's the devil in disguise ♪ ♪ a snake with blue eyes and he koonly comes out

at night ♪ ♪ gives you feelings that you don't want to fight ♪ ♪ you better run for your life oh, you better run for your life ♪ ♪ oh, you better run for your life ♪ >> more music from carrie underwood in just a little bit on a friday morning. "know the species, know the stain." lanolin-free coat, i know it's an alpaca. walks in here, looks says "hey look, it's a llama!" cleaning the stain like he would a llama stain. time he's wasting. ♪ call 1-800-steemer

carrie underwood's come an awful long way in a very short time, the season four champ on "american idol," now the queen of country music. she's got 13 number-one hits including three off her latest album, "play on," and just back from her honeymoon. she's a newlywed. carrie, nice to see you and congratulations. less than a month. how's married life? >> it's a lot like dating life, actually. my husband is there. >> you jump back from honeymoon and spend time apart. >> it's good. we're both very busy people and understand each other's lives and things like that, so we're

okay with it. >> well, congratulations. i want to ask you about the news this morning, shake-up on the judges on "american idol," ellen out, maybe kara, too. you know her very well. >> yeah, i do. i've written a few songs with her and a couple which are on my new album. yeah. it's all interesting. everybody's, like, do you know anything? i'm, like, i know what you know. i have nothing. >> who would be a good judge, in your opinion? have you thought of anybody that would be great at the table? >> i mean, the whole world of music is so vast, so many who know what they're talking about. never know what's going to happen. "idol" keeps you guessing. >> you took time off from your tour to get married and go on your honeymoon. start back up in september. >> september to mid-december. we'll be everywhere, coming to a town near you. >> i was really happy to see a portion of the ticket prices from the tour goes to a really nice cause. >> yeah. save the children, who works with "idol," great organization. and it's a little portion of

every ticket, and we'll do a lot of good with it. >> congratulations. congratulations on everything. what are you going to sing? >> i'm about to do "undo it." >> ladies and gentlemen, carrie underwood. ♪ i should have known by the way you passed me by ♪ ♪ there was something in your eyes and it wasn't right i should have walked ♪ ♪ but i never had the chance everything got out of hand i let it slide ♪ ♪ now i only have myself to blame for falling for your ♪ ♪ stupid games i wish my life could be the way ♪ ♪ it was before i saw your face you stole my happy

you made me cry ♪ ♪ took the lonely and took me for a ride and i want to undo it ♪ ♪ you had my heart now i want it back i'm starting to see everything ♪ ♪ you lack boy, you blew it you put me through it ♪ ♪ and i want to undo it ♪ na, na, na, na na, na, na ♪ ♪ now your photos don't have a picture frame and i never say your name ♪ ♪ and i never will and all your things well, i threw them in the trash ♪ ♪ and i'm not even sad you only have yourself to blame ♪ ♪ for playing all those stupid games you're always going to be ♪ ♪ the same oh, no you'll never change ♪ ♪ you stole my happy you made me cry took the lonely ♪ ♪ and took me for a ride

and i want to undo it you had my heart ♪ ♪ now i want it back i'm starting to see everything you lack ♪ ♪ boy, you blew it you put me through it i want to undo it ♪ ♪ na, na, na, na, na na, na, na, na, na na, na, na, na, na ♪ ♪ you want my future you can't have it i'm still trying ♪ ♪ to erase you from my past i need you ♪ ♪ gone so fast you stole my happy you made me cry ♪ ♪ took the lonely and took me for a ride and i want to undo it ♪ you guys better help me out here ♪ na, na, na, na, na na, na, na, na, na ♪ don't be

shy come on! ♪ na, na, na, na, na na, na, na, na na, na, na, na, na, na ♪ ♪ there you go you stole my happy you made me cry ♪ ♪ took the lonely and took me for a ride and i want to undo it ♪ ♪ you had my heart now i want it back starting to see ♪ ♪ everything you lack boy, you blew it you put me through it ♪ ♪ i want to undo it >> more songs from carrie underwood on a friday morning.

good morning to you. it's 8:56, i'm laura garcia canon. mike has an update for you. >> taking you to the bay bridge. we have reports of a disabled vehicle going right there headed

towards treasure island. sounds like a bus or some sort. no reports of danger or damage. there's a traffic advisory. we'll take you to the east bay where that may look okay. but here we see the lower visibility, low cloud cover. add you're heading into emon t festival. i'll be there saturday. see the next news after this. he

i love pasta and gambas. heat up some olive oil -- spanish olive oil. after that you add some pepper, some paprika -- spanish paprika, sure. and you add some gambas there in the pan too. and later you put everything on the pasta. [ ding ] easy, very easy to make. making a great tennis player? that's a little bit more difficult, yeah. watch nadal make it look easy, during the olympus u.s. open series. public safety on the south bay. by monday. all 51 will have worked their last shift. city of san jose let them go because there's not enough money in the budget to clothes them. they'll have smaller staff and less equipment.

we'll have another local news update in about 35 minutes. "today" show news returns about n about a minute. have a great day and fantastic weekend.

we're back now we're back now with more of "today" on a friday morning. it's the 30th day of july 2010. it's been a stunning day here in the northeast, and may be even better, made even better by the fact we've just had a great concert out on the plaza by the one and only carrie underwood, who has got more music coming up for those of you just tuning in. and we have a lot of people gathered.

have you kind of take an second to take a gander at this crowd? >> yeah. they've been amazing all morning. they've been here the whole time. >> some of them started to get here yesterday, by the way. do you mind shaking a couple of hands? i know they would love that. ladies and gentlemen, carrie underwood. always nice, really is. carrie spent a lot of time before the concert actually saying hi to people. it's nice when they do that and take time to say hi to the fans. >> there are a lot of young fans, matt. look at some of the ages of kids looking for autographs. that's fun to see. we also want to tell you what's coming up in this half hour. recruiting specifically related to "american idol," word that ellen degeneres is leaving "american idol" and talking about the, quote, dim the lights, i've voted myself off of "american idol." she tweeted that last night. so this morning we'll be talking about what the buzz is in terms of who's going to replace the people who are leaving. >> okay. about 90 miles north of here, sleepy little upstate town, rhinebeck, new york, not so sleepy this morning as they get ready for the wedding of the summer. some are saying the wedding of the decade here. we've got chelsea clinton

getting married. her dinner tonight, 400-plus guests. natalie morales, does she know? we'll check in with her in just a little bit. would you consider yourself a hypochondriac? >> no. >> no. >> no. >> well, how do you know if you or someone you love is a hypochondriac? we'll give you the symptoms and how you might get yourself out of that in just a little bit. >> a pretty expensive thing to be. >> a lot to get to. amy robach is filling in at the news desk. there she is. hi, amy. >> hi, amy. >> hey, matt, ann, and al. firefighters are battling a wildfire in northern los angeles county. the wind-driven fire exploded in size and intensity thursday afternoon forcing residents of about 2,000 homes to evacuate. the battle over arizona's immigration law is heating up on thursday. the state appealed a federal judge's feeling that blocks some of the law's toughest

provisions. and police arrested dozens of protesters who opposed the law even in its watered-down form. july is now the deadliest month for u.s. troops in afghanistan since the war began nearly nine years ago. three americans have been killed, raising month's total to 66. new figures show u.s. is losing momentum. the commerce department said economic growth slowed to 2.4% in the second quarter. it's the slowest pace in more than a year. and the senate is expected to pass an airline safety bill today approved thursday by the house. it's a response to a deadly commuter airline crash near buffalo last year. it would require airlines to hire more experienced pilots, train them better and overhaul work rules to prevent pilot fatigue. one of the fame ka skiingy airmen has joined the ranks of the country's fallen heroes at arlington national cemetery.

colonel stan watson was buried thursday with full military honors. he was 93. after the war, watson mentored young people about the struggles of overcoming racial barriers. it is now three minutes past the hour. let's go back outside to matt, ann, and al. >> all right. thanks, amy. >> boy what a lovely day it is today. it's just perfect. >> perfect. after all the heat and humidity we've had. >> what about the weekend? >> mr. roker? looking pretty good. people looking for carrie underwood to get her autograph. let's check your weather and see what's happening. there's carrie up there, being awfully nice. hey, if you're going to be going up to rhinebeck to check out that clinton wedding, mixed clouds and sun today for the rehearsal, upper 70s. tomorrow, sunny and mild, temperatures in the upper 70s. midwest, strong storms possible, topeka, kansas, up to sioux falls, intense gusts of wind and hail. heavy thunderstorms moving through iowa approaching waterloo. you'll see right now rainfall amounts anywhere for the next 24 hours about 2 to 3 inches of rain before it's all over. and that's your latest

and here's a look at our temperatures around the bay area. mostly 50s. notice the area in green. livermore off to the west. you can see, the reason why we have low clouds along portions of the santa clara valley, central bay and out on the coast. that's going to do a number on the temperature, mild by a standard. 60s on the coast tomorrow. the sea breeze will pick up more and we'll see some warming early next week. hat's your latest weather. now let's head about 90 miles north of here, rhinebeck, new york. that's the site of the clinton nuptials. natalie morales has been camped out, and natalie, i know the rehearsal, guest list is a secret, the guest list for the wedding is secret. have you been able to worm out any details. >> reporter: i'm getting there, al. getting a lot of tidbits here and there, but i have to tell

you, everybody here involved with wedding has been sworn to secrecy. but i am collecting party favors already. i scored my "the wedding" t-shirt, of course the date, rhinebeck, new york, july 31st, 2010. now, the town couldn't be more excited. in fact, everybody here is all abuzz, talking about it already because it is one of summer's biggest events but also one of the worst-kept secrets. it's about anyone can talk abnow. chelsea clinton's wedding to her longtime boyfriend, marc mezvinsky. >> rhinebeck is on lockdown. >> reporter: the town is ready to embrace the couple on their special day. most here seem to be bursting at the seams with what was their little secret. at the local bridal shop, ill's all good for business, if only they could talk about it. >> they have signed confidentiality agreements. i know a couple of people who have signed those. >> reporter: officials are holding news conferences, though they're not saying for what,

exactly. >> this is a private event that may take a bit longer to get from point a to point b this weekend. >> reporter: it's tough to get the scoop, even for the guy who broke the story. the only person here who doesn't seem to be talking about is that guy. >> this guy. >> reporter: all the attention comes at a price. >> this is like havoc. >> reporter: even the international media wants to catch a glimpse of the bride-to-be. >> the clintons are like royal family, i guess. >> reporter: the world has watched chelsea clinton grow up and is eager to see her as a beautiful, intelligent bride, following the steps of other married presidential daughters from caroline kennedy to jenna bush. but this private and most exclusive event will not be for the world to see or those without an invite. not even president obama is going. >> it would be tough enough having one president at a wedding. you don't want two presidents at a wedding. >> reporter: as for those rumors about hollywood a-listers oprah, spielberg, and streisand, no one knows for sure except for a select few, and the clintons' lips are, of course, sealed.

the groom's father, ed mezvinsky, a former congressman who was convicted of fraud, is speaking, sharing his joy on "inside edition." >> it's great to see two people that really understand each other that have a good feeling about each other. >> reporter: for now where the ceremony is supposed to take place may as well be ft. knox. no one is going in or out unless invited. but just a stone's throw away, this majestic scenery of the hudson river valley will be the million-dollar view chelsea and her new husband will see as they exchange their vows. by the way, thanks to pete's famous restaurant for lending me their shirt, my little souvenir. the town supervisor and the publisher of "the hudson valley news," and celebrity wedding planner, good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> tom, parlor games trying to figure out what's going on. everybody's lips, everybody

involved, are sealed. how hard has this been to keep? you've been sworn to secrecy. >> it's been hard. it hasn't been confirmed to me as of yet but with the buildup of the police activity -- >> it's definitely happening. i would imagine at this point in time when you've got faa enforcing a no-fly zone over the area, that pretty much is a dead giveaway right now. caroline, "the hudson valley news," among the first to break the story. >> we broke it almost a month ago. >> almost a month ago. >> for the first week or two everyone thought we were kind of insane but, you know, it was a very well-kept secret. they booked everything in town four or five months ago and it was only three or four weeks ago where it all kind of came together and, you know, i think -- >> the ruse is out. >> yeah. confidentiality agreements, i don't think half of them knew it was for the clinton wedding until they read about it in the paper. >> collin, you've been involved

in planning celebrity weddings. how difficult is it when you've got former presidents, the secretary of state, a presidential daughter, hosting a wedding? >> it's very difficult to keep it quiet. nobody knows who they're working for. but news travels very fast and very quickly. >> how do celebrities generally kind of keep the ruse going for so long? >> usually you don't give out the address. >> we heard there was sort of this mysterious invite. >> but the parking lots and get into buses. the important thing for them is the fact that no air space. there will be no helicopters, so it really will be private. >> no paparazzi trying to score that picture. >> exactly. >> exactly. caroline, are you surprised by the amount of interest? you know, talking to your husband, the reporter who broke the story for "the hudson valley news," he was saying the parlor

games here, the cloak and dagger -- >> it's been insane in the way it's been building. and, you know, first there was a film crew and a few phone calls and then 24 hours a day with media from all over the world coming in to cover this. the interest is just insane for this little town. >> we're already expecting guests to arrive today. i've seen some buses out by the beakman arms inn where they're expected to be staying. the rehearsal dinner, i understand, is tonight and i've been able to figure out the location from local sources. you didn't tell me about it. but what can you tell me about it? >> it's part of the montgomery livingston property, and it was built in the 1700s, been restored. it's one of -- a piece of our many scenic and historic treasures in rhinebeck. the family who owns it now restored it to its current state and, you know, that's a blessing for our town. but it's a large structure. it's the perfect setting for the event tonight. >> caroline, too, as well, the

guest list, a lot of buzz about that. we've heard names, oprah, spielberg, streisand. now it appears that may not be so sure they're coming, that, in fact, as secretary clinton said last week, our andrea mitchell said she wanted this to be an event for chelsea and for marc. what are you hearing about the possibility of celebrities? >> there will be an a-list. >> there will be. >> i think it will be all of chelsea and marc's friends, but none of us have 400 friends. their parents' friends are famous. >> everybody talking about the price tag, $3 million to $4 million, 400-plus guests. what's your best guest, knowing what you know about some of the preparations here? >> absolutely. the air conditioning and the extent to make people comfortable, i think it's -- >> it's up there. >> absolutely. >> a gluten-free cake? chelsea clinton's vegan, right?

>> from what i understand. >> so it will look good. maybe we'll figure out the cake. all right. thank you all so much for helping us out today with the coverage. tom trout, caroline kerry and collin, great to have you here. >> thank you. and coming up, switching gears here a lot. are you sick or is it all in your head? how to tell if someone you know is a hypochondriac. also, if you've heard the news this morning, another judge down on "american idol." we're hearing ellen degeneres is out. so who may be in? eggland's best eggs. the best in nutrition... just got better. even better nutrition -- high in vitamins d, e, and b12. a good source of vitamin a and b2. plus omega 3's. and, 25% less saturated fat than ordinary eggs. but there's one important ingredient that hasn't changed: better taste. better taste. better taste. yum! [ female announcer ] eggland's best. better taste -- and now even better nutrition -- make the better egg.

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this morning on "today's health," are you or someone you know a hypochondriac? about 15 million people in the

united states have been diagnosed with the problem, and the unnecessary doctor visits could be tacking on a whopping $20 billion to our health care costs. so how can you tell if you're really sick or if it's all in your head? gail salts is a psychiatrist, rasheed raj is editor of a health magazine. both join us. >> good morning, al. >> we've heard the term and used the term, but what is a hypochondriac? >> it's the inappropriate assigning of real feelings you have in your body, pain or sensation, to an illness or sickness and doing this repeatedly, so much so that it sucks up a lot of your life when, in fact, you have no actual sickness. and it is very difficult to diagnose. it's often -- there is underlying anxiety or depression or stress that leads to this. but people tend not to come in to your office because they really don't have insight about what's going on. so they tend not to come in and say i'm a hypochondriac, help me. >> so what are some of the signs we're talking about that gives you an indication, you or

someone you know might be a hypochondriac? >> repeatedly going to doctors, doctor shopping, being told you don't have anything but then you move on to the next doctor. it is looking up, googling, you know, this illness, that illness, and every time you see it you believe that you have it. and it tends to be basically the reason that you have this going on is that unconsciously you are very stressed or anxious or depressed or such and you're sort of trying to escape from it by having a sickness that will excuse you from responsibility or get you attention or things that are bothering you. and you probably are a person who is more sensitive to body issues, that you feel things, because we all have different sensitivities to what's going on in our body. but you assign them and think they have more meaning than they have. >> so, doctor raj, are there dangers to being a hypochondriac? >> there actually are. we kind of see in the media hypokond ra is almost a bit of a joke, but it's also a very real

disorder and can have negative consequences. the first gail talked about is people going and getting lots of medical tests or seeing doctors. many medical tests have risks. if you're getting a c.a.t. scan, exposed to radiation, sometimes people with the disorder get five, six, seven c.a.t. scans they don't need. colonoscopies, others can have a risk. two, the anxiety she talked about. that can affect your relationships if you're always talking about the fact that you think you're sick. that can really affect your marriage, your kids. >> and if you're crying wolf all the time -- >> exactly. >> -- when you really get sick, nobody's going to believe you. >> this is a huge one. if you're always going to a doctor complaining and they never find anything wrong, the one time you have an illness you may not be taken seriously. >> the doctor may blow you off in a sense. >> correct. >> what about the distinction? there are real symptoms and then you might have a real illness going on. >> right. as gail said, we all have aches and pains and a hypochondriac might interpret a headache as i have a brain tumor, but some

things you can't convince yourself of. if you ever have bleeding, you're noticing bloods going to the bathroom or frequent nose bloods, that is something real and needs to be addressed. fevers, that's something you can't convince yourself of or your mind can't play a trick with you. significant weight loss. you can lose weight if you're depressed or anxious, but if you've lost a significant amount of weight, you need to be seen and taken seriously. >> either you think yourself or your friend is a hypochondriac, is there treatment for this? >> there is treatment. usually what you're trying to do is understand the reason the person fete the need unconsciously to do this. you're really treating answer ti and depression, and once you treat the actual anxiety and depression, you really get to the hy illness. there are people who complain and you say you're a hypochondriac, but there are people who remove themselves from their lives and they're very difficult to live with. if you're living with someone with this, you don't want to say now yao don't have anything, you're bothering me.

you want to support them in the stress that might be going on but you don't want to support the illness. don't think, oh, my goodness, i think that might be going on. you say you must be really stressed, clearly you're having a difficult time. you need treatment. >> some of the tips to avoid constantly worrying about your health, stay away from the internet, visit the doctor regularly but stay away from health shows or segments like these. >> this should help you. but going on the computer and looking up everything -- >> right. >> -- will make it worse. >> doctors, thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up, a big shake-up to talk about at "american idol." ellen degeneres off the island. who takes her place? and speaking of "american idol," carrie underwood has one more song for us. ove college. best seven years of my life. i know, dad. your comforter. okay. mr. cuddles... toilet paper? oh, hey, scott. here, scott extra soft tissue. it's their softest roll ever. check out the pattern.

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coming up, figuring out food labels. >> and carrie underwood. hs ] morning! mor-ning? i'm your genie. you're wishing for a deliciously, nutritious fiber cereal. i am. well, you don't want that one. new kellogg's fiber plus cereal®. the delicious taste of berries, plus yogurty clusters, plus 40% of your daily fiber... plus wait for it... antioxidants! so, two more wishes. mmmm. maybe later, then. [ female announcer ] new kellogg's fiber plus cereal®. positively delicious. to finish what you started today. for the aches and sleeplessness in between, there's new motrin pm. no other medicine, not even advil pm, is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. new motrin pm. is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste? isn't this the yogurt that, you know... helps regulate

your digestive system. trust me. it is beyond tasty. mmm. this is really good! new best tasting activia ever! taste it, love it, or it's free! good morning, everybody, time now is 9:26, i'm brent canon, checking in with mike, the latest problem is a gas problem. cars, gas and natural gas. natural gas reported in walnut creek. chp asked to help with traffic control. a few blocks off 680. i don't know if this will affect the boulevard or jones just off that area. keep that in mind. livermore moves smoothly. eastbound will be the issue as folks try to get out of town. golden gate bridge, why get out

of town when you see the beautiful bridge? >> the bottom half of it right now. >> a lot of low clouds. heyward got the fog. san jose we're breaking out the sunshine, what's left in the low clouds. what's up in the santa clara valley. the pattern we see today is really what we're seeing for the weekend ahead with 70s, 80s inland for places like livermore. upper 70s, san jose, 60s, san francisco, oakland tomorrow, more morning cloud, mild temperatures into next week. time now 9:27.

later this morning we should get a key0l decision on the new contract. it changes overtime rule, copay policies and pension plan. the tranity agency making those changes because of the $56 million budget gap. muni is doing away with paper and sticker passes. the transit agency says by the

end of october, molly fast pass and disabled passes will be transferred to a so-called clipper card. it is reusable. the switch means muni will save out fare cards to lake b.a.r.t. take rides within city limits. making way for a new 1400 space parking lot next to brand-new terminal "b." the terminal closed in june when the new one was open. crews spent all month in july removing furniture and getting hazardous materials out so the demolition crews can start their work. the new parking lot should start in october.

you lose that battle, you lose that battle nine times out of ten. >> did that go the way you thought it was going to go? >> nope. >> oh, that's going to leave a mark. >> will ferrell and mark wahlberg in "the other guys," and they'll tell us about their cop comedy on "today." meanwhile, in this half hour, big news and big changes on the set of "american idol." >> that's right. after only one season of judging, ellen degeneres is

leaving and also news that kara dioguardi is out. we'll tell you some of the rumored replacements. >> speaking of "american idol," one of the success stories, carrie underwood, boy did she rock out. and people have one more song to get to look forward to on this broadcast by carrie underwood. also coming up this morning, fat free, light, no sugar added, those labels are on a lot of foods. don't always believe what you read. no transfat. what exactly does that mean? we have an expert in the house to help us figure out the labels. meantime, we've got amy to tell us what's coming up on "weekend today." >> we are going to be live from rhinebeck, new york, with all the details on chelsea clinton's wedding from the dress, the flowers, the hush-hush guest list. plus, she was just 15 years old when she met the beatles and has the photographs to meet it. the woman who photographed the fab four over 40 years ago. >> wow. and speaking of pictures,

you remember the one you're about to see. a married military couple separated for over a year, reunited at 18,000 feet while on a refueling mission and now they're both on land. we'll talk with them exclusively about their in-flight reunion. all that and more when we see you this weekend on "today." >> don't see that every day. >> not every day. what about this weather? >> what about it? >> what a weekend. we want -- >> what about it? >> we want perfect weather. >> we're not going to get it. some of us will. for saturday, beautiful in the northeast, good weather in rhinebeck for the big wedding, showers in the mid-atlantic states and the southeast, heavy rain down to the southwest, a risk of strong storms back through montana into idaho. then sunday, sunday, sunny and mild in new england but rain along the mid-atlantic into florida, slight risk of strong storms in dakotas, sunny and mild in the southwest, sizzling in the midsection of the country down to the gulf coast. and here we go.

san francisco, we've got lots of low clouds, misty skies right now as we show you the clouds on the satellite view over to the east bay. low clouds. san jose breaking out sunshine. that's one of the reasons why san jose will make a run at the 70s. 60s san francisco, 80s further inland towards livermore. seven day forecast shows the weekend will start off fairly cool with more low clouds with the next couple mornings, staying mild for the next seven days. and that's your latest weather. >> thanks, al. coming up next, that big shake-up at "american idol." the big question is who is going to replallenegeneres ♪

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after only one season as judge and there are reports kara is also out. anne marie cruz is the staff editor at "people" magazine which first broke the news about ellen. good morning. >> good morning. >> this sounds like a huge overhaul, lots of rumors swiring around the judges' panel, a clean slate, so to speak. why is ellen degeneres leaving after just one short season? we had heard she had signed a multiyear deal prior to this. >> mm-hmm. yes. she felt she was not a good fit, especially since she was so uncomfortable with judging other people and making them potentially feel bad. plus she saysing is having a day job and a night job was a little too much for her. >> yet there are reports perhaps she was forced out and that the producers were already looking to overhaul the judges' table with simon leaving. any truth to that? >> that's not something i can comment on, but in terms of her sensing that people were not entirely happy with her performance, i think that's probably a big factor with her decision. >> she released a statement to "people" magazine saying she's let fox and the "idol" producers

know it didn't feel like the right fit a couple months ago but she'd wait to leave the show until the producers figured out where they want to take the panel. if we can go by those words and saying she's out, that must mean the producers know who they want in her place. >> an interesting turn of phrase. it really does fit in with what we've heard from a couple sources that jennifer lopez is definitely going to be a permanent judge. so fox isn't talking about it, but we have different stories. >> so it could be a done deal -- >> yes. i think it probably is. >> okay. >> she's perfect. >> she would be. >> she would bring a sexy element to a show that hasn't had sexy in a while, i think. >> okay. well, as we mentioned earlier, ellen's not the only judge stepping down. we know obviously simon cowell is leaving too, but we haven't heard about his replacement although names are floating around, justin timberlake mentioned, steven tyler mentioned. elton john even.

that's a reality show in itself. right? >> we heard that justin was not ever discussed in terms of his rep talking to us, but also there is jessica simpson and ush usher, just names being thrown out as dream candidates. but when you have j. lo, i mean, that's a great start. >> who else do you need, right? that leaves kara and randy, and now there are rumors that kara may be leaving. >> yes. that's unconfirmed but with nigel lythgoe, who is the former executive producer of the show, possibly coming back, he had said last year that he wanted a clean slate and, you know, get a whole bunch of new judges. >> so what would you think about a randy jackson, j. lo, steven tyler of aerosmith trio of judges? how do you think that would do? >> i think that would be amazing. what a great way to start off a whole new era for the tenth season of the show. you have i think randy and j. lo would have an amazing chemistry, and then you have steven tyler, who throws the "x" factor. >> see if he can be like simon or not.

we need a cutting-edge judges to carry it over. >> absolutely. >> anne marie, thanks so much. we appreciate it. >> thank you. up next, food labels. activia is better than ever! hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste? today is your tasty lucky day! sure, why not? isn't this the yogurt that, you know... helps regulate your digestive system. ooh, i think i'll pass. no, no, no! trust me. it is beyond tasty. okay!

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prepared without by-products or fillers. fancy feast appetizers. celebrate the moment. pass a breadstick to your favorite uncle. ohhhh!!! ohhhh!!! we had a ball. announcer: try our new parmesan polenta crusted dishes. with chicken breasts. or steak medallions. both with our 4 cheese ravioli in creamy alfredo. at olive garden. ♪ ♪ da da-da, da, da, da-da ♪ da-da, da, da, da ♪ da, da, da-da-da, da, da-da-da, da, da-da ♪ [ female announcer ] there's a place called hidden valley where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough.

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this morning on "eat smart today," food labels uncovered. advertising phrases like sugar free or all natural can make products sound healthy, but are they really? our diet and nutrition editor joins us. madeleine, good morning. >> good morning. >> we want to demystify food labels. >> right. >> one we get a lot these days is no transfats. >> that's right. >> what's wrong with that, or what is it that we don't realize about what that label actually means? >> the good thing is the product doesn't have any artery-clogging transfats. the problem is it can contain a lot of other fats. like you could see a big sign on a chocolate cake saying no transfats, but it could have a lot of other saturated total fat. >> artery clogging. >> that can be butter. butter doesn't have a lot of transfat. you can have oils, things that are high in calories as well as

cholesterol, but transfat free means it just doesn't have that kind of fat. it can be high in fat and confusing to people. >> we don't want transfats or other clogging fats. sweeteners. things can say no sugar when, in fact, that's also misleading. >> because sugar really means in this context table sugar, white table sugar that you see. you can have things that are sugar alcohols for buy dye be k betiks where you see sugar free candy for diabetics. irtd's not calorie free. people often confuse those two. when you say no added sugar, you can have a juice product, fructose, and that can still have a lot of that type of sugar. but just because it doesn't have added table sugar, added sucrose doesn't mean it's sugar free or calorie free. >> high-fructose corn syrup is one of the worst thins we should try to avoid. >> avoiding high-fructose corn syrup, similar to regular table sugar, taking that out doesn't

mean it doesn't have a lot of sugar. >> okay. a lot of times people looking for fresher, better meats, chicken, all natural, free range. these are also not exactly what they seem. >> there's not a lot of regulation. again, all of these things are on the front of the package where there's no regulation, not on the package label, so we look at free range and free roaming as if somehow a chicken is out of the barnyard. all that means is there's free access to the outside. that could mean just a chicken coop door is left open. you don't know if a chicken is going out or not. so that can be confusing. as well as nayture. natural means it comes from nature, but arsenic is natural and comes from nature. >> what's regulated is the food label but other things are not? >> right. there's a lot of wiggle room on what you put on the front of the package and that's where all this confusion occurs. the package labeling is very specific, and that's on the back. we have to get people to take a look at the back and not be confused by what you see on the

front. >> or maybe the rules should be to make sure that label goes on the front. >> that's right. >> moving on to whole wheat, 100% whole wheat does not necessarily mean whole grains. >> here's the confusion. when someone says whole grains on the front, it doesn't mean it's a good source of fiber or whole grains in general. you want to look for 100% whole wheat as the first ingredient. so whole grain doesn't mean it has a lot of it. it just means it's contained in a product. but you have to read the label to see is the first or second ingredient 100% whole wheat and how much fiber is there. about three grams of a serving is is good. >> contains real fruit. >> you see these dancing fruits on a package, it doesn't mean anything. contains maybe a drop of fruit. the only use of fruit is fruit. real fruit is fruit. >> that's really kind of the bottom line. what we're really talking about is these labels are usually involving overprocessed foods, foods that are not good for us. the closer we get to fewer things on the label -- >> exactly. >> -- and the closer to what

really came out of the ground, is better for us. can i ask you this? i want to interrupt myself. before we run out of time, why doesn't the government do a better job monitoring so that we're not misled by these labels? >> you know, it is very confusing. looking at the food fly, number one is safety and two is how do you get consumers good food so it's a work-in-progress. there are a lot of systems now trying to rank foods by a number, say, from 1 to 100, now nutrient dense is the food. that's another way to help consumers. or the stoplight diet of green, yellow, and fred foods so people have an easier snapshot because label reading is confusing. there's not a lot of regulation. and i think it's a work-in-progress. there should be more. >> at a time we've got this rising obesity problem, it just seems like people are not paying attention. it may be killing people. >> and we have to be tsavvier consumers. read the package label. that will tell you the information. don't follow the front of the

package. >> the label is on the back. thank you so much. coming up next, on a much lighter note, we've got one more song from five-time grammy winner carrie underwood.

coming up, hoda and kathie lee -- >> friday, instant makeovers. >> but first carrie underwood singing her hit song "before he cheats." have a great weekend. ♪ right now he's probably slow dancing with a bleach blond ♪ ♪ tramp and she's probably getting frisky right now he's probably buying ♪

♪ her some fruity little drink because she can't drink whisky ♪ ♪ right now he's probably up behind her with a pool stick showing her how to snooth ♪ ♪ shoot a combo and he don't know i dug my key ♪ ♪ into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive ♪ ♪ carved my name into his leather seats i took a louisville slugger ♪ ♪ to both headlights slashed a hole in all four tires ♪ ♪ and maybe next time he'll think before he cheats ♪ ♪ right now she's probably up singing some white-trash version ♪ ♪ of shania karaoke right now she's probably saying i'm drunk ♪ ♪ and he's thinking that he's going to get lucky ♪ ♪ right now he's probably

dabbing on three dollars worth of that ♪ ♪ bathroom polo and he don't know that i dug my key ♪ ♪ into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive ♪ ♪ carved my name into his leather seats i took a louisville slugger ♪ ♪ to both headlights slashed a hole in all four tires ♪ ♪ maybe next time he'll think before he cheats ♪ ♪ i might have saved a little trouble for the next girl because the next time ♪ ♪ that he cheats oh you know it won't be on me ♪ ♪ no, not on me

because i dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up ♪ ♪ four-wheel drive carved my name into his leather seats ♪ ♪ and i took a louisville slugger to both headlights ♪ ♪ slashed a hole in all four tires and maybe next time ♪ ♪ he'll think before he cheats oh, maybe next time he'll think before ♪ ♪ he cheats oh, before he cheats oh ♪ thank you so much.

good morning, everybody. time 9:56, i'm brad canon. checking with mark he has a sig

ale alert. >> there's a car fire on the slow lines to the bottom of the screens, around hagan burger, they're blocking two lanes, a lot of folks slowing down to see what's going on. what's going on? folks are slowing down. no injured reported. this will be here for a while. bay bridge? not a problem. this portion of interstate 80 a little slow. interstate 80, calling out a sig alert there. transition on to highway 50 is a concern for you. if you're heading through the area. slowdowns right around the arden fair mal. right? >> that's right. around the capital city. still waiting for the sun in oakland. fog, mist around san francisco. sunny skies to the sin knoll grade. san jose sunny but nothing around san jose, 80s, inland, out by livermore, still in the 60s, a cool weekend on the coast. a little bit warmer early next

week. brent. >> thanks a lot. rob, police departments across the bay area are slashing budgets and in some cases jobs. but one department is trying to help the smallest members of the force, police dogs. testing k-9 ballistic vests, the custom fit vest protects the dogs for stabbings and bullets and has sky diving for rappelling. they protect an important investment. >> dogs cost anywhere from 6,000 to $10,000. and the amount of training that we put into them, we put thousands of hours into these dogs before they are even really street capable. >> this weekend, all of the area pet food express stores are accepting donations for the vests and medical care for the police dogs. more news coming up in about half an hour. "today" show returns in a minute. have a great weekend. see you back here after a bit.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody. it's friday. driving around here geing ready for the big weekend. it's july 30th. happy birthday to christine, my dear -- it's also going go best girlfriends day on sunday. >> she's one of your best girlfriends. >> she's one of my dearest friends in the whole world. i love her to pieces. i would show her on air, but she'd kill me. doesn't like to be shown or acknowledged. we get along great. i love all the attention.

>> that's a good thing. first of all, i didn't know there was a national girlfriends day. >> i know. >> it's nice to reach out to your best friend. >> mine, you know, is karen. i have known her many years. >> and jane. >> jane is another one. you. look at the trifecta. there's karen and me eating, as usual. >> you have been friend as long, long time. >> yep. >> i'm off to a new place. going to harbor springs, michigan. some friends of ours -- speaking of girlfriends. my dear friend emily and my other friend drew hammer from los angeles are meeting in harbor springs. we'll be on the boat. do you know what's better than girlfriends? when your husbands love the husbands of the girlfriends and your kids are the same ages adore each other. >> that's great. >> we spend christmas and new year's together. >> that should be a lot of fun. lall right. there is a piece of videotape on the internet that's been around

for a long time. it's called "david after dentist." he's all loopy and -- it's been viewed 60 million times. listen. >> just listen. >> kind of felt good, didn't it? >> yeah. it -- is -- is this real life? >> yes. this is real life. >> okay. now -- okay now i -- i -- i have two fingers. >> that's good! >> now david is 9. he's grown. >> oh, no. >> for some reason this had so many clicks david dad took the videotape and turned it into a money maker. he made t-shirts and whatnot. he's made $150,000. >> i'm sure he's a lo ovely man. they have given money to the church. i don't know. >> it bugs you? >> a little bit, for the kid. that's how he'll be remembered, loopy. >> he's so vulnerable.

kind of funny? a little? >> not for me. >> okay. so when you're at parties or whatever, there is always somebody who doesn't know when to stop telling a story. >> they think they're fascinating, but they're not. >> and they are so not. >> yes. >> i usually say, you know who you are. that's the problem. >> you don't know. >> i have a friend and a whole family group was around a table. one of the sisters-in-law told a long story about a long fabulous trip to thailand. it was on and on. you know how grandmas can say whatever they want. she was cutting the meat and said, "boring, boring, boring." the whole table felt it, but sometimes you don't know if you're the one. we'll help you learn how not to be boring. >> i don't know if there is help for people like that. >> here's the first one. listen more than you talk. >> they're not capable of that because they want to get their thing in. once someone starts telling a story, they jump in.

>> okay. i remember this. if you're boring yourself -- stop talking. i have done that. i have been in the middle of a story and you know when you're losing the room. i stop mid sentence and no one notices. they're like, "great." but i wasn't done with the story. who cares? >> the universe yawns. >> they say you should know historical anecdotes. i disagree. >> nothing like bringing up ben franklin to get things going. i don't know. >> maybe something interesting culturally that's going on. >> yeah. >> i don't know. >> you don't like the person who chimes in on everything. the one who knows something about everyone. they're always in the conversation. sometimes you need to read the room. in basketball we called it court awarene awareness. know what's going on. >> if you live as long as i have lived you have seen a lot. been there, done that. been around the block a few times. >> here are more.

drawn out pauses are the best time to talk about yourself. it's better than silence. if there is a long pause, jump in and say something about yourself. >> that makes no sense to me. >> here's another one. if you're interrupted, you're telling a story and you're at the good part, right? and you can't wait to tell how you rescued the dog, but the conversation has taken a turn and then it's -- >> you lost yours. >> what do you do? >> i usually let it go. i don't bring it back up again unless someone says, "whatever happened with the dog"? >> apparently you're supposed to give it up. you're not supposed to bring it up until someone says "go ahead with the story". >> yeah. what was that you were saying? limit your stories to five minutes. five minutes is a long story if you look at the clock. >> depends on the story. >> as the teller. some people don't know how to tell stories. >> that's the trouble. they don't know who they are.

do you know what else? a lot of weird people with weird pets. we had guys on a couple weeks ago. the book is on the bestseller list. >> it's awkward family photos. >> so they decided to do awkward pet photos. look at that thing. >> is that a chicken? >> of course it is. >> is there an animal there? >> the animal is in the middle. >> that's a snake. picture the planning of the picture. everyone lays down. >> a chimp and a baby. >> of course. >> oh! >> that's enough! that is a no, no, no. let's live on that one for a minute. >> i'm sorry. the guy on the right looks a little bit like jay leno. >> what are you doing? >> doesn't it? i can't see well but i think that's jay and his wife. >> okay. >> mavis.

>> stop it. what's that -- a pig? >> a pot-bellied pig. >> he's holding onto the pig more than the girlfriend. >> i have to get my eyes checked. i thought it was an aardvark. >> these books are homeruns. awkward family photos and awkward pet photos. the first one is a new york times bestseller. >> i was talking too much. it is time, i believe for bobbie. so sedate today. what's going on? >> i was inspired by the premier of "mad men." i went ladylike this week. >> we love bobbie any way we can get her. cody, do you like the ladylike bobbie? >> i always like her. >> i have the five-minute rule

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you. >> you will smell like one. >> you can have your own personal scent and it comes like that. [ bell ringing ] [ applause ] >> look at cody. even a little applause. two thumbs-up. >> what's going on? >> we were talking about conversation enders. christine wrote, i will ring my own doorbell to get off the phone sandy says, use the fake call. you can push a button. shannon wrote there is a thing you do, well, what are you going to do, and walk off. and one says, i suspect i'm the person doing the lengthy talking. i'm with you. i'm that girl. the five-minute rule is a good start for me. >> up next, the lovely and talented ashley judd. >> she gets very personal in her latest dramatic role. she'll tell us all about it after this. so, we set out to discover the nutritional science in some of nature's best ingredients.

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judd has never shied away from taking on challenging roles and her latest film "helen" is no different. >> she plays a talented musical professor whose relationship with her family is thrown into turmoil when she plummets into a severe depression. take a look. [ sobbing ] >> mom? >> ashley's here with us. >> that was a fun scene to do -- tear stuff up. >> it's so real. i didn't realize that you have struggled with this on occasion in your own life. you must have been just drawing on your own personal experiences. >> when i read the screenplay i had no idea where it was going. by about page four or five i was like, ding-ding-ding, there is something here i relate to.

i have no idea what the narrative or plot is, but i want to be a part of it. i immediately sent her screenplay -- which was so brilliant -- to two clinicians i have the privilege of knowing. i thought, oh, can i play the disease without being in the disease? their response was the same though they hadn't consulted one another. uniformly they said, how dare you not? it was a fun experience to navigate that creative, slightly dangerous line between really authentically playing it but not being in it which, by the grace of god today, i don't have to be. >> wow. >> it's interesting. a lot of people when they see someone with depression and this happened in the movie as well, they think the person is unhappy, not unwell. they don't get it that it's chemical. >> i think that's a terrific line. that really blew my mind in the script when the doctor said to my husband, she's not unhappy, she's sick. i have heard a similar kind of

line used with people who have addiction problems. they're not bad people who need to get good. they are sick people who stand a chance of getting well if they have access the solution. >> again, the heart-breaking part is not just what helen is going through, but how it affects the people who love her. one person is depressed in the family, the whole family is depressed. >> you are so right. i'm really glad that you have identified that. it's a family disease. >> oh, yeah. >> that's why i think audiences, however small the release of the film is, are so moved by the film. everyone has either suffered from depression themselves or absolutely been affected by someone else. >> or loved someone who's suffering from it now. >> that's called codependency and there is a solution for that, too. >> there is a grade to these things. i had a very depressed period in life, but you get help. there are professionals who know exactly how to treat your situation.

the worst thing is the stigma of it where people feel bad about themselves because -- why am i depressed? on paper, i've got everything. right? >> what do you think people take away from the film, ashley? >> i think kathie lee said something important. there is still a lot of stigma and it can be associated with shame. in this day and age, that's simply unnecessary. depression is the leading cause of disability in america. women, interestingly, report rates of depression at twice that of men. i think men underreport. in our day and age it's easy to get depressed about stuff where it's indogenous or exogenous. i do think it's important to stabilize the baseline mood. that can be done with appropriate medication, with the right kind of doctor prescribing. but also people need to get ab city innoce -- away from substances they are using to deal with the

illness. there is cognitive behavior and a lot out there that really works. >> congratulations on your harvard degree. hi! when did you have time to do that? >> congratulations. she's off watching that gorgeous husband of hers. >> my husband, i'm sorry, he's so hot it's ridiculous. >> you're just hot. >> sweet, too. and he loves you. >> he does love me, and i love him. >> ashley, thanks for coming by. >> it's an amazing film. where can people see it? >> they can see it in new york city at the quad theater. and it will be on dvd soon. >> she got a standing ovation at the sundance. >> she's a big deal this one. >> okay. next up, parents, kids and broken friendships. what do you do? we'll have advice. >> and two ladies get hot new makeovers courtesy of the ambush team after this. i'm hungry. what's for dinner?

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as a parent you have probably gone through this at least once. your child stops being friends with someone, but you are still close to the parent. >> or on the flip side, what if you stop being friends with a couple but your kids are still best of friends? how do you handle it? >> rj allen is a clinical director at drexell university. hey. >> good to be here. >> this can get sticky. >> it can. >> the first scenario is the kids are still friends but you and the other parent are not connecting. >> yeah. here's the deal. maybe your kids are a better fit for their friends and they are doing a better job of selecting friendships than you are. the friendships need to be distinct anyway. just because the kids are friends and you're not doesn't mean it has to be mutually inclusive. >> it gets awkward at times. >> awkward is a part of life. >> can't take a pill for awkward. >> let's pretend you're watching

how this mother is raising her son and you don't want your son in that even know they are pals. >> being influenced by that. >> have a conversation with yourself. is it something your child will be harmed if he goes to the house? if you feel they are not in a good relationship or not being parented in a way when your kid goes to their house then you need to say to your kid, you know, this is not something i need you to pursue. be honest. pick and choose your fights. if it's not significant and they may be friends and buddies next week though they aren't now, don't make a big deal out of it. >> not everything lasts forever. >> right. >> it doesn't. it's constantly fluid. even our adult relationships continue to shift and change. the bottom line is you need to make sure it's a teachable moment that comes from any break-up or any friendship. then you can use it to navigate the next friendship. >> should you tell the other parents, here's the deal? should you have a conversation? >> should you be transparent is the question.

>> yeah. >> i think if it's serious enough that somebody else might have a problem you should express your concerns that you feel your child is not having a good relationship with their kid and they are not in the best environment. but if it's not a big deal then maybe let it die on the vine and move on. more is caught than taught. the way you navigate relationships, your children will model that based on watching you. >> it's also the way you speak to one another. it's not what you're saying, it's how you're saying it as well. >> exactly. >> in the spirit of love, most of the time you will have a good relationship. >> when relationships dissolve they don't necessarily have to dissolve in a negative way. sometimes the relationship just moves on. you can teach that as a valuable principle for children when you say, you know what, we just grew apart or we moved in different directions. that doesn't mean i don't care about that person, but we are not hanging out in the same way we once were. >> it can get awkward in neighborhoods. there are houses next to each other.

you see kids playing and another is left out. >> here is a tip for communities like that. you have to be careful how you talk to other people about that particular relationship. chances are if it's close, that information is getting back. >> exactly. >> then you will feel bad when they feel, what happened? why are you talking about our household to other people? so have some integrity. don't do what you wouldn't want someone to do to you. >> do you mean the golden rule? in this world that still works? thanks so much. >> all right. coming up next, we have the plaza ambush makeovers. >> and cody's in the house. after your local news. [ laughs ] this is it! [ all ] 10...9...8... a new school year has so much potential! any resolutions? my resolution is the same as always; keep her full and focused with my fiber. [ all ] 3...2...1... happy school year! [ female announcer ] this school year, make a resolution to give your kid kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal.

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good morning, once again. 10:26, checking in with good news, bad news. the good new, no sig alert. car fire sighted last half hour. now there's a disabled vehicle reported, now they've issued a sig alert heading up through downtown oakland. once you get through that, the toll plaza is clear. still slowing coming up from 2:38 through downtown. golden gate bridge from the bound direction as well p. golden gate starting to clear.

>> clouds taking their time to clear out of oakland and san francisco. we have sunshine from 680 down to the 680-580 interchange. san jose in the sun, inland spot not too bad. by late july standards we're looking mild. on the coast, clouds stick around, slight warming ahead in head into next week. 10:27, more news after the break.

is many oakland business

owners, are banding sergeant to try to take place with some laid-off police officers, business owners know what hand. voter as prove the 2004 parcel tax to pay for police. as many as many officers recently laid off. business owners are worried neighborhoods have recently become hot spots of shopping and dining will lose their luster when there are fewer community officers when there are small crimes, one home owner reaching into her own pocket to pay for security. >> we used to have a walking officer who removed transients and look after minor nuisances in the area. >> merchants are forming a watch to protect themselves and they can attend an august 11th meeting at the mixing bowl. the police captain will be there to offer tips on crime prevention. undercover police officers are posing as prostitutes.

stung a dozen men overnight. it happened on santa rosa avenue an the first of its kind for years there. business owners sparked that training after complaints of illegal activity. thanks for joining us today. we're back on this dry day with more and it's time for the results of our plaza ambush makeover where two ladies get a head to toe redo. >> with us stylist to the star louis licari. we sang about louis in the segment where you weren't even here. >> even when you're not here. how was is crowd today? >> oh, great, great. this is a fun day of the week for us. it really is. we love this so much, taking people, making them over. the ladies are great. >> usually these women have never done anything for

themselves. they lo tve the pampering so mu. >> today is the day for lisa winer. she's spent the past 20 years teaching others but admitted she needs someone to teach her how to change the look. let's take a listen. >> well, we couldn't miss a.j. in the dolphins jersey so that's how we spotted mom lisa. tell us why you want this for mom? >> she provides food for the family, works all day long and puts up with my arguments. >> and you want this? >> yes, i do. >> why? >> i haven't had a makeover in a really long time. i'd like to see what can be done. >> and i know your hubby mark wants to see what can be done. >> i'm sure he can't wait. >> ready to go? >> absolutely. >> we have son a.j. with his blindfold on. keep it on until i give you the

green light. >> all right. >> here's lisa before. all right. let's see the new you. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> how adorable! >> ready, a.j.? >> i'm ready. >> take off the blindfold, honey. >> wow, mom! what happened? >> that's your mama. ready to see yourself? >> yes. >> okay. right here. >> oh, my god! wow! >> that's called a makeover. >> that's hot. >> tell us about the hair cut. >> of course it's a beautiful layer. >> did adele do that? >> she did. short and sassy. the king of layers. then she already had a pinch of red. i added a pinch more. the thing with red is to keep it natural. it looks like hers, not mine. that's key. >> and the eyebrows match beautifully. >> you look beautiful. >> a.j., what are you thinking over there? >> you just look so much

different. >> tell us about the outfit. >> she needed a great little black dress like everybody needs. this is white house black market. the trick is everybody thinks you need black shoes but it's great to go with beige to elongate your legs. these are nina for $99. >> big round of applause. >> you can join your son. >> we have claudette married to mel for 20 years. they have two children and one grandchild. she's had the same look since her wedding day and begged us to help us update it. she's here with a friend, diane. let's listen to her story. >> well, i cannot believe you are a grandmother. >> and one on the way, too. my daughter's baby is coming. >> oh! on your shirt, adorable emma. >> that's my emma. >> i know you want this makeover. tell us why. >> at my age, anything is a big

help, especially with the frizzies and everything else. i would love it. >> are you ready to be pampered for three hours? >> yes. i would surprise my husband, yeah. hi, mel. >> mel's going to get the surprise of his life. diane is waiting over there. let's look at claudette before and bring out the new claudette. ♪ >> oh, wow! >> wow, wow. >> right there, darling. okay, diane. whip it off, baby. >> whoa. that's awesome. you look great. >> turn around and look. >> oh, my god. look at that. >> you look awesome. >> younger. >> you really do. >> what do you think mel's thinking? >> i don't know. is he watching? >> say hi to mel. >> hi, mel! >> i lightened her hair, made it deeper and --

>> this is great. i love it. >> she got this layered hair cut with layers on the bottom to give it shape. then enid redefined her chin by using taupe powder to give her a strong chin line. >> they did a beautiful job. they were so nice. >> look at the figure on her. >> you look beautiful. >> i wanted to take her into fall. the top is ralph lauren and you can mix and match into fall. they're versatile. >> anything else, claudette? >> no, no. i'm so glad diane brought me today. >> just in time for girlfriends day. don't forget, our ambush makeovers are on thursdays all summer long. stop by for a chance to get picked. >> up next, we'll be back with outdoor stuff for kids after this. if you fight to sleep in the middle of the night,

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it's hard to believe but this weekend we are already dipping into august. >> unbelievable. if you have children to entertain you will want to stock up on summer essentials. christina versaletto is here from parenting magazine. >> nice to see you. >> sun's still bright. we have to protect the kids. >> and the easiest way is with sun protective swim wear like samantha and juwan are wearing. this is a great one from l.l.

bean. 50 upf is built into the fabric. it can be machine washed and she can go from the pool to the mall and run around. she looks great and she's protected. >> she had a pedicure. >> good girl. and jawan? >> he's covered up with the hat, the fish insignia in the shorts and he's also completely protected from the sun. his cool sneakers actually help kids' feet sweat less. they have special ventilation in the sole so the moisture doesn't build up. >> you have beach stuff here, fun stuff. >> all righty. moving on, these are great for making s'mores. these are from chasing fireflies. you put all the ingredients in, hold them over the fire. you can make three at once and the chocolate melts all the way through. this is a marshmallow tree to make toasting marshmallows

simpler. >> that is so smart. >> i want to see miss caroline. >> she's been patient. >> she's in the kiko caddy seat. if you're going to grandma's or a restaurant, you don't want to lug the big high chair. this is a great option from 6 months to 2 years. it's a great travel item. >> absolutely. >> she doesn't like to be alone. >> she's happy. >> we're hoping nothing goes wrong. >> this is l.l. bean, a sleeping bag. it's $69. it's flannel-lined. it's really well made. it will last forever. if you're doing a backyard camp out or a real camp out, sleep overs, kids love this. >> look at caroline. she's getting involved. what do we have here? >> this is alyssa and nicky

having a ball. >> that set is from chasing fireflies. it's a classic. this is better because the chalk comes with handles. it makes it neater and easier for kids to play with. it has a carry case with a handle. >> so smart. what's at the end? >> these are great travel games from mattel. updates on classics like uno, kerplunk. less than $10 apiece and they are lots of fun in the car, in the carry-on. >> i loved this game. you pull it out and try to keep the marbles on top. >> no. >> excellent. these are terrific. you guys did well. >> good job, everybody. >> have a great summer. >> coming up next -- oh, gosh. we have donny deutsch here. he's corrupting cody. >> it's started already. >> after that, more movie reviews from cody gifford. [ female announcer ] there's something about grilling out

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why do guys lie about the little things? >> and the big things? >> you're not going to get my husband to pay less attention to the remotes. >> these are questions for guys so we brought back donny deutsch. >> right. >> how can you mock me before we even go on? >> you were discussing it with my son. >> i was telling him the facts of life. >> stay away from donny. >> okay. jennifer wants to know, i'm 40 years old and still not married. i don't do bars and there are no singles at church. how do i let a guy know i'm interested? >> you have to be in it to win it. you have to plan a business strategy. she should go to restaurants on wednesday nights. lots of divorced guys out with kids. take up golf. go to financial centers and restaurants. go where the fish are. be strategic.

it's simple. go to guy places. simple. that's it. >> that makes sense. >> i'm pregnant. when my husband says i have never looked more beautiful, does he mean it? i have never felt less beautiful. >> i don't know if he means it, but he's saying it. that's a win. i think pregnant women are beautiful. either way, your husband loves you. give the guy a gold star either way. >> it's hard when you don't feel pretty. >> pregnant women are beautiful. they are. i mean it. i'm not trying to say the politically correct thing. >> okay. >> nobody yelled at me yet. >> it's coming. why do guys comment on all the hot girls on tv and make us feel uncomfortable? it makes me question why he's with me since i look nothing like what he considers hot. >> i believe there is nothing wrong with saying, oh, that girl is beautiful. just like a woman can say, that's a hot guy. we observe other people.

that doesn't mean you're not beautiful. will you marry me? you could be my wife and i could turn and go, wow, she's got beautiful legs. like with a guy, that's some hunk. that's okay. it's comfortable. not like drooling. >> when you're in a house for the hamptons -- what happened there? >> nothing. we are dear friends. she's the nicest house guest in the world. we had pajamas and all that, but -- >> if you're in love with a woman and she keeps saying d well, he's observing because we all -- >> bad news, you're in bed with someone and they call out another name, these are bad signs. we all like aesthetic. it's no big deal. be secure. >> my fiance lost his motivation to leave school and get a high paying job. not being motivated is the worst thing a man can possess. >> what you see is what you get.

so many people wake up and say, my husband's lazy. don't like it, don't buy it. >> maybe he's going through a bad time. >> whatever it is, he's not motivated, he's lazy, move on. >> my daughter is married to the guy and you're in it. >> in this case, you haven't bought yet, move on. if it's my daughter, i'm like good-bye. >> all right. thank you, donny. >> you should hear what i said to cody. >> he's coming up. >> it was about twins. >> angelina jolie or a laugh out loud romp? up next, at the movies. >> first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back with our weekend movie preview with cody gifford.

angelina jolie is back as an action heroine, steve carrell is back with a funny one. >> cody has his picks. hello. >> you have been busy. three this week. >> "charlie st. cloud." i have seen the previews and i want to see a movie like that. it feels warm and fuzzy. >> maybe those aren't the best adjectives. it's a fantasy melo-drama adapted from a novel. it's kind of dark in a good way. it's about charlie dealing with the loss of his younger brother in a car accident and trying to get over the guilt of that. what i like about the movie is there is a spiritual foundation to it. i'm not saying it's overtly religious, but i appreciate seeing one that's kind of a religious foundation. >> does he take his shirt off? the critical question.

>> that's the theme of the summer, guys taking their shirts off. >> only angelina jolie didn't take hers off. >> zac, props to you, man. he does a good job. he's growing as an actor. >> he's picking good projects. >> "dinner for schmucks" starring bruce greenwood and some other people. >> yeah. >> "dinner for schmucks" is hilarious. you don't want to miss it this weekend. it's a remake of a french farce that came out a few years ago. steve carell is brilliant, absolutely brilliant. it's about distancing the audience from the subject and pulling the subjects apart for our enjoyment. this movie is about an analyst climbing the company ladder who, in order to get a promotion, has to make fun of an idiot for his boss's enjoyment. steve is a part-time taxidermist.

finds dead mice, puts them in what he calls mouse-terpieces. >> that's good. >> and "salt" with angelina jolie. >> this has made almost $50 million at the box office. she's a tremendous actress. no one can dispute that. it's really not a heavy film, but she brings a lot of emotional weight to it. it's good. it's a thriller. it's fast-paced relentless. it's a head game for the viewer. we don't know where her allegiance lies. is she good, bad, russian, a spy, wrongfully accused? >> and you pull for her. >> she's like an anti-hero. you pull for her. >> will there be a sequel? >> i don't know. the ending is somewhat ambiguous. it's good. it's a fun thriller. put it that way. >> good job, honey. once again. >> coming up next week, rapper

fitty. >> and our favorite "america's got talent" judge piers morgan. >> have a great weekend, got talent" judge piers morgan. >> have a great weekend, everybody. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com